Enda Kenny

Enda Kenny (born 24 April 1951) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2011 to 2017, Leader of Fine Gael from 2002 to 2017, Minister for Defence from May to July 2014 and 2016 to 2017, Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2011, Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997 and Minister of State at the Department of Labour and Department of Education with responsibility for Youth Affairs from 1986 to 1987.

Kenny was born in 1951 in Derrycoosh, Islandeady, near Castlebar, County Mayo, the third child of five of Mary Eithne (McGinley) and Henry Kenny.

He was educated locally at St Patrick's National School, Cornanool N.S, Leitir N.S and at St. Gerald's College, Castlebar.

He attended St Patrick's College, Dublin, qualifying as a national teacher and was an undergraduate student at University College Galway.

He worked as a primary school teacher for four years.

He also played football for his local club Islandeady GAA.

He was elected on the first count with 52% of the vote, and thus became the youngest member of the 20th Dáil, aged 24.

Kenny remained on the backbenches for almost a decade.

He was appointed party spokesperson firstly on Youth Affairs and Sport, then Western Development; however, he failed to build a national profile as he concentrated more on constituency matters.

Kenny was exposed to politics from an early age, following his father Henry Kenny, becoming a Fine Gael TD in 1954.

In the early 1970s, he became directly involved in politics when he started helping his father with constituency clinics.

He served as Teachta Dála (TD) for Mayo West from 1975 to 1997 and for Mayo from 1997 to 2020.

In 1975, Henry Kenny (who was at this stage a Parliamentary Secretary in the government) died after a short battle with cancer.

Fine Gael wanted one of his sons to stand as their candidate at the subsequent by-election, and so Enda Kenny was chosen.

Kenny was left out in the cold when Garret Fitzgerald became Taoiseach for the first time in 1981, and again in 1982.

He was, however, appointed as a member of the Fine Gael delegation at the New Ireland Forum in 1983.

He later served on the British-Irish Parliamentary Association.

In 1986, he became a Minister of State at the Department of Labour and Department of Education with responsibility for Youth Affairs.

Fine Gael lost the 1987 general election, resulting in Kenny and Fine Gael being on the opposition benches for the next seven years.

In spite of this, his national profile was raised as he served in a number of positions on the party's front bench, including Education, Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht, and the Islands.

He was also the Fine Gael Chief Whip for a short period.

He was the first Taoiseach from Fine Gael since John Bruton (1994–1997), and the first Leader of Fine Gael to win a general election since Garret Fitzgerald in 1982.

In late 1994, the Fianna Fáil–Labour Party government collapsed; however, no general election was called.

Instead, a Fine Gael–Labour Party–Democratic Left "Rainbow Coalition" came to power.

Kenny, as Fine Gael chief whip, was a key member of the team, which negotiated the programme for government with the other parties prior to the formation of the new government.

Under Taoiseach John Bruton, Kenny joined the cabinet and was appointed Minister for Tourism and Trade.

During his tenure as Minister, Ireland saw a significant growth in the tourism sector and in its international trade position.

As Minister, he chaired the European Union Council of Trade Ministers, during Ireland's six-month Presidency of the European Council, as well as co-chairing a round of the World Trade Organization talks in 1996.

In 1997, the government was defeated at the general election and Kenny returned to the opposition benches.

Among Kenny's other achievements were the rejuvenation of the Saint Patrick's Day parade in Dublin, and the successful negotiations to bring a stage of the 1998 Tour de France to Ireland.

John Bruton resigned as leader of Fine Gael in 2001, following a vote of no confidence in his ability.

Kenny stood in the subsequent leadership election, promising to "electrify the party".

In the final ballot it was Michael Noonan who emerged victorious (it is Fine Gael's custom not to publish ballot results for leadership elections).

Kenny led Fine Gael to a historic victory at the 2011 general election, his party becoming the largest in the country for the first time, forming a coalition government with the Labour Party on 9 March 2011.

He subsequently became the first Fine Gael member to be elected Taoiseach for a second consecutive term on 6 May 2016, after two months of negotiations, following the 2016 election, forming a Fine Gael-led minority government.

He became the longest-serving Fine Gael Taoiseach in April 2017.

Kenny stepped down as Leader of Fine Gael on 2 June 2017, and announced he would resign as Taoiseach once a new leader was chosen in early June.

In the following leadership election, the then Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar, was elected to succeed him as Leader of Fine Gael.

Kenny tendered his resignation as Taoiseach on 13 June 2017, and was succeeded by Varadkar the following day.

On 5 November 2017, Kenny announced that he would not contest the following general election.