Brian Lenihan Snr

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Brian Lenihan Snr
Lenihan in 1973
Tánaiste
In office 10 March 1987 – 31 October 1990
Taoiseach	Charles Haughey
Preceded by	Peter Barry
Succeeded by	John Wilson
Minister for Defence
In office 12 July 1989 – 31 October 1990
Taoiseach	Charles Haughey
Preceded by	Michael J. Noonan
Succeeded by	Brendan Daly
Minister for Agriculture
In office 9 March 1982 – 14 December 1982
Taoiseach	Charles Haughey
Preceded by	Alan Dukes
Succeeded by	Austin Deasy
Minister for Fisheries
In office 5 July 1977 – 12 December 1979
Taoiseach	Jack Lynch
Preceded by	Paddy Donegan
Succeeded by	Paddy Power
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 10 March 1987 – 12 July 1989
Taoiseach	Charles Haughey
Preceded by	Peter Barry
Succeeded by	Gerry Collins
In office 12 December 1979 – 30 June 1981
Taoiseach	Charles Haughey
Preceded by	Michael O'Kennedy
Succeeded by	John Kelly
In office 3 January 1973 – 14 March 1973
Taoiseach	Jack Lynch
Preceded by	Patrick Hillery
Succeeded by	Garret FitzGerald
Minister for Transport and Power
In office 2 July 1969 – 3 January 1973
Taoiseach	Jack Lynch
Preceded by	Erskine Childers
Succeeded by	Michael O'Kennedy
Minister for Education
In office 26 March 1968 – 2 July 1969
Taoiseach	Jack Lynch
Preceded by	Jack Lynch
Succeeded by	Pádraig Faulkner
Minister for Justice
In office 3 November 1964 – 26 March 1968
Taoiseach	Seán Lemass Jack Lynch
Preceded by	Seán Lemass
Succeeded by	Mícheál Ó Móráin
Parliamentary Secretary
1961–1964	Justice
1961–1964	Lands
Teachta Dála
In office June 1977 – 1 November 1995
Constituency	Dublin West
In office June 1977 – June 1981
Constituency	Dublin County West
In office June 1969 – February 1973
Constituency	Roscommon-Leitrim
In office October 1961 – June 1969
Constituency	Roscommon
Other parliamentary offices Member of the European Parliament In office 13 March 1973 – 16 June 1977 Constituency Oireachtas Delegation Senator In office 1 June 1973 – 16 June 1977 In office 22 May 1957 – 4 October 1961 Constituency Industrial and Commercial Panel
Personal details
Born	(1930-11-17)17 November 1930 Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland
Died	1 November 1995(1995-11-01) (aged 64) Castleknock, Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse	Anne Devine ​ (m. 1958)​
Children	7, including Brian and Conor
Parent	Patrick Lenihan (father)
Relatives	Mary O'Rourke (sister) Feargal O'Rourke (nephew)
Education	Marist College, Athlone
Alma mater	University College Dublin King's Inns

Brian Patrick Lenihan (17 November 1930 – 1 November 1995) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Tánaiste from 1987 to 1990, Minister for Defence from 1989 to 1990, Minister for Agriculture from March 1982 to December 1982, Minister for Fisheries from 1977 to 1979, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1987 to 1989, 1979 to 1981 and January 1973 to March 1973, Minister for Transport and Power from 1969 to 1973, Minister for Education from 1968 to 1969, Minister for Justice from 1964 to 1969, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Justice and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands from 1961 to 1964. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1961 to 1973 and from 1977 to 1995. He served as a Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel from 1957 to 1961 and 1973 to 1977. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Oireachtas from 1973 to 1977.^[1]

He was a member of a family political dynasty; his father, Patrick Lenihan, and sister both followed him into Dáil Éireann; his sister Mary O'Rourke sitting in cabinet with him. Two of his sons, Brian Lenihan Jnr and Conor Lenihan, became TDs in the 1990s. Brian Lenihan Jnr served as Minister for Finance and Conor was Minister of State in the government of Taoiseach Brian Cowen. Two phrases associated with Lenihan Snr, No problem and On mature recollection, entered the Irish political lexicon.^{[citation needed]}