Clinton was born to a farming family at
Moynalty,
Kells, County Meath, on 7 February 1915. He was known as an accomplished
Gaelic footballer in his youth and played on the
Meath county team defeated by
Kerry in the
1939 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. He served as a member of
Dublin County Council from 1955 and represented various
County Dublin constituencies as a Fine Gael
Teachta Dála (TD) from 1961 until his retirement from
Dáil Éireann in 1981. In 1973, he joined the
Irish Government of
Liam Cosgrave as
Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries in the
National Coalition. Clinton is best remembered as the Agriculture Minister who negotiated
Ireland's entry into the
European Union's
Common Agricultural Policy, a development which brought billions of pounds to Irish farming and agri business. He served in government until 1977 and retired from the Dáil in 1981. Clinton also served in the
European Parliament for the
Leinster constituency from 1979 to 1989 and his political experience was recognised by his election as vice-president of that assembly. Mark Clinton died in a
Dublin nursing home, on 23 December 2001, aged 86. ==References==