Patrick (Paddy) Donegan, who died on November 26th aged 77, was an outspoken and colourful Fine Gael politician, who will be best remembered for controversial remarks which led to the resignation of a president. Cearbhall O Dalaigh's resignation in 1976 damaged the then Fine Gael-Labour coalition and cast Paddy Donegan, who was minister for defence, in an unfavourable light. The incident, which followed O Dalaigh's referral of government legislation to the Supreme Court, obscured Paddy Donegan's sharp political mind and a genuine dedication to the security of the State, which he shared with his close friend, the then Fine Gael Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave.
Paddy Donegan was a businessman, farmer and publican, from Monasterboice, Co Louth. Educated at Drogheda Christian Brothers' School and St Vincent's College, Castleknock, he was first elected to the Dail for the Louth constituency in 1954, but lost his seat three years later. He was elected to the Seanad and regained his Dail seat in 1961, retaining it until his retirement from politics in 1981.
In October 1969, Paddy Donegan, Fine Gael spokesman on industry and commerce, came to national prominence when he was fined £20 at Drogheda District Court, after pleading guilty to firing a shotgun beside Travellers' caravans to get them to leave Newtown, Monasterboice. The court was told he had later apologised to the Travellers.
Paddy Donegan's close affinity with his party leader was evident when Cosgrave's position came under serious threat in the early 1970s. Fianna Fail had been in power since 1957, and appeared to have survived the upheaval of the 1970 Arms Crisis. Fine Gael's chances of achieving office seemed increasingly remote. On the evening of December 1st, 1972, Cosgrave appeared certain to lose the leadership, after he argued, against the wishes of most of his parliamentary party, that Fine Gael should support the Fianna Fail government's controversial Offences Against the State Bill. The Bill abolished jury trials for terrorist offences and provided that a person could be convicted of IRA membership on the word of a Garda superintendent. Shortly before the Dail vote, a loyalist bomb attack in Dublin killed two people - the explosion being heard in Leinster House. Fine Gael deputies changed their minds and backed the Cosgrave line. Paddy Donegan had remained at Cosgrave's side, a steadfast friend and supporter, from the beginning.
Cosgrave's fortunes improved dramatically in February the following year, when he led his party into government with Labour, ending 16 consecutive years of Fianna Fail rule. Paddy Donegan was rewarded with the ministry of defence, a job he took to with relish, personally overseeing the capture of the gun-running ship, the Claudia, in March 1973. At a press conference in Naval headquarters, in Dublin, he outlined the combined efforts of land and sea forces leading to the capture of the vessel. As for the Claudia, no action would be taken against it or its crew. "She'll get a boot up the transom and be told to get out of our waters fast," he added.
On July 21st, 1976, the British ambassador, Christopher Ewart-Biggs, was murdered by the IRA in Sandyford, Dublin, and the Government responded to demands for anti-terrorist measures with the Emergency Powers Bill, which allowed terrorist suspects to be detained for up to seven days without charge. O Dalaigh referred the Bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. The court later declared the Bill constitutional. At a ceremony in Columb Barracks, Mullingar, on October 18th, Paddy Donegan, in a short speech, criticised O Dalaigh's decision, declaring: "In my opinion, he is a thundering disgrace. That fact is that the Army must stand behind the State." The political repercussions were dramatic and severe. Paddy Donegan, on returning to Dublin later in the day, offered his resignation, but Cosgrave refused it. Paddy Donegan then sought an appointment with O Dalaigh to apologise, but the President refused to meet him.
He then issued a statement regretting his remarks, "which arose out of my deep feelings for the security of our citizens. I intend to offer my apologies to the President as soon as possible".
Two days later, Cosgrave defended Paddy Donegan in the face of a Fianna Fail Dail motion that he resign. Praising his ministerial record, Cosgrave said he had made "a serious comment on what the President did in a disrespectful way". He went on to express regret that his minister had made any remark which slighted the President.
O Dalaigh resigned the following day, declaring it was the only way open to him to assert publicly his personal integrity and independence as President. In an interview with The Irish Times, before leaving office in 1977, Paddy Donegan said he had been suffering from the effects of a severe car accident on the previous night when he made his controversial remarks in Mullingar. "I was concussed and did not know it. I was like a zombie walking around." Although he had two whiskies at a reception before the meal, he was adamant there was no question of drink being solely behind his remarks, he added. While Cosgrave had retained Paddy Donegan as a minister, he demoted him to minister for lands in a Cabinet reshuffle in December 1976, and in February 1977 he was made minister for fisheries. In December 1980, he announced his retirement from politics to concentrate on his business interests.
Paddy Donegan is survived by wife Olivia, sons, Tommy and Vincent, and daughters, Annette and Roseanne.
Patrick (Paddy) Donegan: born 1923; died, November 2000