Eamon Gilmore

Eamon Gilmore
Gilmore in 2014
EU Special Representative for Human Rights
In office 1 March 2019 – 29 February 2024
President	Jean-Claude Juncker Ursula von der Leyen
Preceded by	Stavros Lambrinidis
EU Special Representative for the Colombian Peace Process
In office 1 October 2015 – 19 February 2019
President	Jean-Claude Juncker
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Tánaiste
In office 9 March 2011 – 4 July 2014
Taoiseach	Enda Kenny
Preceded by	Mary Coughlan
Succeeded by	Joan Burton
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
In office 9 March 2011 – 11 July 2014
Taoiseach	Enda Kenny
Preceded by	Brian Cowen (Foreign Affairs) Mary Hanafin (Trade)
Succeeded by	Charles Flanagan
Leader of the Labour Party
In office 6 September 2007 – 4 July 2014
Deputy	Joan Burton
Preceded by	Pat Rabbitte
Succeeded by	Joan Burton
Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
In office 1 January 2012 – 18 December 2013
Secretary-General	Lamberto Zannier
Preceded by	Audronius Ažubalis
Succeeded by	Leonid Kozhara
Minister of State
1994–1997	Marine
Teachta Dála
In office June 1989 – February 2016
Constituency	Dún Laoghaire
Personal details
Born	(1955-04-24) 24 April 1955 (age 69) Caltra, County Galway, Ireland
Political party	Labour Party (1999–present)
Other political affiliations	Democratic Left (1992–1999) Workers' Party (1975–1992)
Spouse	Carol Hanney ​ (m. 1981)​
Children	3
Education	Garbally College
Alma mater	University College Galway
Website	gilmore.ie

Eamon Gilmore (born 24 April 1955) is a European Union diplomat, and an Irish former Labour Party politician. He serves as European Union Special Representative for Human Rights since February 2019. He is also the European Union Special Envoy for the Colombian Peace Process since 2015. He was Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2011 to 2014, Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2014, Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe from 2012 to 2013, Minister of State at the Department of the Marine from 1994 to 1997. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 1989 to 2016.^[1][2]

At the 2011 general election he led the Labour Party to its best electoral performance, with a record 37 Dáil seats. Labour entered into a coalition government with Fine Gael, with Gilmore being appointed Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

As Minister for Foreign Affairs he led Ireland's seventh presidency of the European Council during the first half of 2013. Throughout 2012, he held the role of Chairperson-In-Office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).^[3]

Born in County Galway, Gilmore graduated from University College Galway (UCG), becoming President of the Union of Students in Ireland. Later, he entered local politics and worked as a trade union organiser. As a Democratic Left TD, he helped to negotiate that party's merger with Labour. Gilmore was elected unopposed as Labour Party leader in 2007; he resigned the post in July 2014, and was succeeded by Joan Burton.