Jack Lynch
John Mary Lynch was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. He was Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, Minister for Finance from 1965 to 1966, Minister for Industry and Commerce from 1959 to 1965, Minister for Education 1957 to 1959, Minister for the Gaeltacht from March 1957 to June 1957, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands and Parliamentary Secretary to the Government from 1951 to 1954. He served as a Teachta Dála from 1948 to 1981.
Lynch was the third leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 until 1979, succeeding Seán Lemass. He was the last party leader to secure an overall majority in the Dáil for his party. Historian and journalist T. Ryle Dwyer called him "the most popular Irish politician since Daniel O'Connell".
Before his political career Lynch had a successful sporting career as a dual player of Gaelic games. He played hurling with his local club Glen Rovers and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1936 until 1950. Lynch also played Gaelic football with his local club St Nicholas' and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1936 until 1946.
In a senior inter-county hurling career that lasted for fourteen years, he won five All-Ireland titles, seven Munster titles, three National Hurling League titles and seven Railway Cup titles. In a senior inter-county football career that lasted for ten years, Lynch won one All-Ireland title, two Munster titles and one Railway Cup title. Lynch was later named at midfield on the Hurling Team of the Century and the Hurling Team of the Millennium.
Early and private life
John Mary Lynch was born on 15 August 1917, in Shandon, on the north side of Cork, and grew up in the nearby area of Blackpool. His father Daniel Lynch was a tailor, and his mother Nora was a seamstress. He was the youngest of five boys and fifth of seven children, with four elder brothers and two younger sisters, Jack, as he was known, was generally regarded as the "wild boy" of the family. He was educated at St. Vincent's Convent on Peacock Lane, and later at the famous "North Mon", the North Monastery Christian Brothers School. When Lynch was just thirteen years old his mother died suddenly. His aunt, who herself had a family of six, stepped in to look after the family. Lynch sat his Leaving Certificate in 1936, after which he moved to Dublin and worked with the Dublin District Milk Board, before returning to Cork to take up a position in the Circuit Court Office.Lynch began working at the Cork Circuit Court as a clerk at the age of nineteen. His work in the court ignited his interest in law and in 1941 he began a night course at University College Cork studying law, where he was a member of the Law Society. After two years in UCC, he moved once again to Dublin to complete his studies at King's Inns. While continuing his studies he started work with the Department of Justice. In 1945, Lynch was called to the Bar and had to decide whether to remain in his civil service job or practice as a barrister. Lynch made the decision to move back to Cork and began a private practice on the Cork Circuit.
It was in 1943, while on holidays in Glengariff, County Cork, that Lynch met his future wife, Máirín O'Connor, the daughter of a naval doctor killed in World War I. The couple were married three years later on 10 August 1946 and had no children. Although she was apprehensive about her husband's decision to become active in politics, to become a minister and even to become Taoiseach, she stood by him through it all and helped him make the tough decisions that would affect Lynch's life and her own.
Sporting life
From an early age, Lynch showed an enormous interest and great accomplishment as a sportsman. Rugby union, soccer, swimming and handball were all favourite pastimes for Lynch, but it was the sports of Gaelic football and hurling where Lynch showed particular flair.Club
Lynch played his club hurling with the famous Glen Rovers club in Blackpool. He enjoyed much success at underage levels, winning back-to-back minor county championship titles in 1933 and in 1934 as captain. That same year Lynch won his first senior county hurling championship with "the Glen". It was the first of a record-breaking eight county titles in a row for Glen Rovers and for Lynch, who served as captain of the side on a number of occasions. He finished off his club hurling career by winning a further three county medals in succession in 1948, 1949 and 1950.Lynch also played club football with "the Glen's" sister club St. Nicholas. Once again he enjoyed a successful underage career, winning back-to-back county minor titles in 1932 and 1933. Lynch won an intermediate county title in 1937, before adding a senior county football championship medal to his collection in 1938. Lynch won his second county football medal with "St. Nick's" in 1941. While working in Dublin in the mid-1940s, Lynch played club football with the Civil Service GAA team. In 1944 he won a Dublin Senior Football Championship title, alongside fellow Munster native Mick Falvey.
Inter-county
By the late 1930s, Lynch was a dual player with the Cork senior hurling and senior football teams. In 1939, he became the only player in history to captain both the inter-county football and hurling teams in the same year. That year he won his first Munster Senior Hurling Championship title. However, Kilkenny later accounted for Cork in the famous "thunder and lightning" All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final. In 1940 and 1941, Lynch played as Cork won back-to-back National Hurling League titles, with him captaining the first of those. However, the 1941 championship was severely hampered due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Cork only had to play two games to be crowned All-Ireland SHC winner champions. However, the team lost the delayed Munster SHC final to Tipperary.In 1942, Lynch was selected as Cork hurling captain once again. That year he captured his second set of Munster SHC and All-Ireland SHC medals. The year 1943, proved to be a successful year for Lynch as he won a third Munster SHC medal and a first Munster Senior Football Championship medal. While the footballers were later defeated in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final, Lynch's hurling team went on to win a third consecutive All-Ireland SHC title. In 1944, Lynch captured his fourth Munster SHC title. Later that year Cork created a piece of sporting history by becoming the first team to win four consecutive All-Ireland SHC titles. Lynch was one of the heroes of the team who played in all four finals.
In 1945, Cork surrendered their provincial hurling crown; however, Lynch, as a member of the Cork senior football team, won his second Munster SFC title. Cork later defeated Cavan in the All-Ireland SFC final, giving Lynch his first, and only, All-Ireland SFC medal. In 1946, the Cork hurlers returned to their winning ways and Lynch claimed a fifth provincial hurling title. A fifth All-Ireland SHC medal was later added to his collection following a defeat of old rivals Kilkenny in the final. On that September day in 1946, Lynch made Irish sporting history by becoming the first player to win six consecutive senior All-Ireland medals.
Lynch captured a sixth Munster SHC medal in 1947, before going on to play in his seventh All-Ireland SHC final in less than a decade. The game itself against Kilkenny has often been described as the greatest All-Ireland SHC final ever played. However, Lynch ended up on the losing side by a single point. There was some consolation at the start of 1948 as Lynch claimed another National Hurling League medal. However, Tipperary quickly became the dominant force in the Munster SHC. Lynch retired from inter-county hurling in 1950. He had retired from inter-county football several years earlier.
Honours
Even at the height of his career, Lynch had come to be regarded as one of the all-time greats of Gaelic games. His contribution to the game of hurling was first recognised when he was named as the "Hurling Captain of the Forties". In the centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1984, Lynch was named on the "Hurling Team of the Century". At the special centenary All-Ireland SHC final in Semple Stadium, he received one of the loudest cheers and rounds of applause when all the former All-Ireland SHC-winning captains were introduced to the crowd. Shortly after his death in 1999, Lynch's reputation as one of the true greats of the game was further cemented when he was named on the "Hurling Team of the Millennium".In 1981, he won an All-Time All Star Award since there was no All Star Awards during his playing days.
Political life
Early career
In 1946, Lynch had his first involvement in politics when he was asked by his local Fianna Fáil cumann to stand for the Dáil in a by-election. He declined on this occasion, due to his lack of political experience, but indicated that he would be interested in standing in the next general election. In 1947, Lynch refused a similar offer to stand by the new political party Clann na Poblachta. A general election was eventually called for February 1948, Lynch topped the poll for the Cork Borough constituency and became a Fianna Fáil TD in the 13th Dáil. Although Fianna Fáil lost the election and were out of power for the first time in sixteen years, Lynch became speechwriter and research assistant for the party leader, Éamon de Valera.In 1951, Fianna Fáil were back in power and Lynch was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Government, with special responsibility for Gaeltacht areas. The party returned to opposition again between 1954 and 1957. During this period Lynch served as Fianna Fáil spokesperson on the Gaeltacht. After the 1957 general election Fianna Fáil returned to office and de Valera headed his last government. Lynch was promoted to cabinet as Minister for Education, as well as holding the Gaeltacht portfolio for a short while. At 39, he was the youngest member of the Government. Lynch introduced innovative legislation, such as raising the school leaving age; reducing school class sizes; removing a ban on married women working as teachers and allowing the Jewish skull cap to be worn but only from the age of 12.