Brian Lenihan

:Brian Lenihan was the name of two Irish politicians, father and son, who held government office in the Republic of Ireland. For the son, who is currently active in Irish politics, see Brian Lenihan, Jr.

Overview and Legacy

Brian Lenihan was a complex Irish politician. Though regarded by those closest to him as one of the most intelligent people ever to sit in Leinster House, mentioned alongside Eamon de Valera, Dr. Garret FitzGerald, Professor John M. Kelly (not to be confused with the IRA man John Kelly who helped found the Provisional Irish Republican Army in the late 1960s), Dr. Conor Cruise O'Brien and Dr. David Thorney, all of whom are generally regarded as the major parliamentary intellectuals in modern Irish political history.

Related Topics:
Eamon de Valera - Garret FitzGerald - Provisional Irish Republican Army - Conor Cruise O'Brien

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Lenihan's public image was, as John Healy observed, that of being the "clown prince of politics", given to say "no problem" and "there is no question of that" continually in interviews, to the amusement of viewers and the exasperation of television presenters. Yet his achievements, particularly the abolishment of censorship and the implementation of Haughey's legislative programme in the Department of Justice, have earned him a prominent place in the history of Irish governance.

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