Liam Joseph Fitzgerald (1 September 1949 – 11 June 2025) was an Irish

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...

politician.

Life and career

Fitzgerald was born in Doon,

County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...

and educated at the Christian Brothers school in Doon,

St Patrick's College, Dublin St Patrick's College (), often known as St Pat's, was a third level institution in Ireland, the leading function of which was as the country's largest primary teacher training college, which had at one time up to 2,000 students. Founded in Drum ...

and

University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...

. He worked as a teacher before becoming involved in politics. He was elected to

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...

at the 1981 general election as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Dublin North-East constituency. He lost his seat at the February 1982 election but regained it in the November 1982 election. In 1991, he was a key member of the so-called "gang of four" that proposed a

motion of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...

in the

Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

and leader of Fitzgerald's party,

Charles Haughey Charles James Haughey (; 16 September 1925 – 13 June 2006) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who led four governments as Taoiseach: December 1979 to June 1981, March to December 1982, March 1987 to June 1989, and June 1989 to February 1992 ...

(the other members of the group were

Noel Dempsey Noel Dempsey (born 6 January 1953) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Transport from 2007 to 2011, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources from 2004 to 2007, Minister for Education and Scie ...

, Seán Power and

M. J. Nolan Matthew J. Nolan (born 25 January 1951) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1982 to 1997 and 2002 to 2011. He also served as a Senator from May 1982 to Novemb ...

). Haughey resigned in early 1992 and

Albert Reynolds Albert Martin Reynolds (3 November 1932 – 21 August 2014) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1992 to 1994. He held various cabinet positions between 1979 and 1991, including Ministe ...

became Taoiseach, but Fitzgerald remained on the backbenches. He lost his Dáil seat again at the 1997 general election, but was then elected to the

21st Seanad The 21st Seanad was in office from 1997 to 2002. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 1997 general election to the 28th Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 22nd S ...

by the

Labour Panel The Labour Panel is one of five vocational panels which together elect 43 of the 60 members of Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (the legislature of Ireland). The Labour Panel elects eleven senators. Election Article 18 of the Const ...

; he was re-elected in 2002 to the

22nd Seanad The 22nd Seanad was in office from 2002 to 2007. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 2002 general election to the 29th Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 23rd Se ...

. Fitzgerald resigned the party whip on 27 March 2007, and stated his intention to run as an independent candidate in the next general election. It has been said that he did this as a response to the cancellation of the candidate selection convention in Dublin North-East. However, he did not stand at the 2007 general election. Fitzgerald died on 11 June 2025, at the age of 75.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzgerald, Liam 1949 births 2025 deaths Members of Dublin City Council Fianna Fáil TDs Members of the 22nd Dáil Members of the 24th Dáil Members of the 25th Dáil Members of the 26th Dáil Members of the 27th Dáil Members of the 21st Seanad Members of the 22nd Seanad Politicians from County Limerick Alumni of St Patrick's College, Dublin Alumni of University College Dublin Irish schoolteachers Fianna Fáil senators Labour Panel senators