Thomas J. Fitzpatrick (Cavan politician)

Fitzpatrick was born and raised in the village of Scotshouse, near Clones, in the west of County Monaghan, being born in February 1918. He was educated at St. Macartan's College, the Incorporated Law Society and University College, Dublin (UCD), where he qualified as a solicitor; he then entered practice as a solicitor in Cavan town. ==Politics==

Fitzpatrick first held political office in 1950, when he was elected to Cavan Urban District Council. In 1961, he moved to national politics when he was elected to Seanad Éireann. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD for the Cavan constituency at the 1965 general election. He held many Opposition Front Bench portfolios including Defence, Health and Social Welfare, Justice and the Environment, as well as being Fine Gael Chief Whip from 1979 to 1981. Fitzpatrick served in the Irish Government on several occasions under Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald. His first government post was in 1973, when he was appointed Minister for Lands. After Fine Gael lost power in 1977, he was mentioned as a possible leader of the party if a compromise were needed between FitzGerald and Cosgrave. Following the November 1982 general election, he was elected as Ceann Comhairle, a post which he held until 1987. Fitzpatrick was re-elected to the Dáil (or automatically returned as Ceann Comhairle) at every election until 1989 when he retired from politics. ==References==