Albert Martin Reynolds (3 November 1932 â 21 August 2014) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1992 to 1994. Between 1979 and 1991, he held several cabinet positions, including Minister for Finance from 1988 to 1991. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for LongfordâÂÂRoscommon from 1977 to 1992, and for LongfordâÂÂWestmeath from 1992 to 2002.
During his first term as taoiseach, Reynolds led a coalition government of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats. In his second term, he headed a coalition of Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party.
Albert Martin Reynolds was born on 3 November 1932 in Kilglas, near Roosky, on the County RoscommonâÂÂLeitrim border. His father was a carpenter and coachbuilder. Because of his rural background, his political opponents often referred to him as a âÂÂcountry bumpkinâÂÂ.
During the 1950s, he attended Summerhill College in Sligo and worked as a clerk for CIÃÂ, the state transport service. Despite the lateâÂÂnight nature of his business, Reynolds abstained from alcohol. Reynolds married Kathleen Coen (1932âÂÂ2021) in 1962, and they had seven children.
Reynolds became involved in the showband scene, owning several dance halls, including Cloudland Ballroom in Roosky (opened in 1957); Roseland Ballroom in Moate (opened in 1959); Dreamland Ballroom in Athy (opened in 1961); Fairyland Ballroom in Roscommon (opened in 1961); Danceland Ballroom in Portlaoise (opened in 1962); Lakeland Ballroom in Mullingar (opened in 1963); Jetland Ballroom in Limerick (opened in 1963); Rockland Ballroom in Borris-in-Ossory; Borderlands Ballroom in Clones; Tippland Ballroom in Cashel; and Barrowland Ballroom in New Ross (opened in 1967).
He became wealthy during the 1960s as dance halls grew extremely popular. He invested in various enterprises, including a petâÂÂfood company, a bacon factory, a fishâÂÂexporting operation, and a hire purchase company. Reynolds also had business interests in local newspapers and a cinema. He established business contacts at both national and international levels.
Reynolds became interested in politics during the Arms Crisis, a controversial episode in which two government ministers, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Neil Blaney and Minister for Finance Charles Haughey, were removed from the government over an attempt to send arms to Northern Ireland in 1970; Blaney and Haughey were later acquitted in court.
In the wake of this case, Reynolds launched a political career from his background as a successful businessman in western Ireland. He stood for Fianna Fáil in the 1977 general election for the LongfordâÂÂWestmeath constituency. The election proved to be a landslide victory for Fianna Fáil, with the party winning a 20âÂÂseat parliamentary majority, resulting in Jack Lynch returning as Taoiseach. Reynolds remained a backbencher until 1979. That year, pressure mounted on Lynch, the incumbent Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader, to step down. Reynolds became a member of the soâÂÂcalled âÂÂgang of fiveâ politicians with strong rural backgroundsâÂÂJackie Fahey (Tipperary), Mark Killilea Jnr (Galway), Tom McEllistrim (Kerry), and Seán Doherty (Roscommon)âÂÂwhich aligned itself with Charles Haughey and supported him in the subsequent leadership contest.
Reynolds was rewarded for his staunch loyalty with appointment to the newly elected Taoiseach Charles HaugheyâÂÂs cabinet as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. He was later appointed Minister for Transport, making his brief one of the largest and most wideâÂÂranging in the government. As Minister for Transport, Reynolds was involved in an incident in which Aer Lingus Flight 164 was hijacked by a disturbed former monk, whose chief demand for the safe return of the aircraft and its passengers was to be allowed to reveal a religious secret, the Third Secret of Fatima, which he claimed to have in his briefcase. The incident was resolved in Paris with no injuries.
Fianna Fáil lost power following the 1981 general election but regained it following the February 1982 general election. Reynolds returned to government as Minister for Industry and Energy. He was responsible for developing the DublinâÂÂCork gas pipeline. That government fell in late 1982, and Reynolds returned to the opposition benches. During 1982âÂÂ83, Fianna Fáil leader Charles Haughey faced three noâÂÂconfidence motions; Reynolds supported him each time, and Haughey stayed in power.
In 1987, Fianna Fáil returned to government, and Reynolds was appointed minister for industry and commerce, one of the most senior cabinet positions. In 1988, the minister for Finance, Ray MacSharry, became IrelandâÂÂs European Commissioner, and Reynolds succeeded him as minister for finance.
The 1989 general election resulted in Fianna Fáil taking the unprecedented step of entering coalition with the recently formed, freeâÂÂmarketâÂÂoriented Progressive Democrats (PDs), marking a consolidation of coalition politics in the state. A programme for government was agreed in July 1989, and Reynolds returned as Minister for Finance in the Fianna FáilâÂÂPD coalition.
The failure of Fianna Fáil candidate Brian Lenihan to win the 1990 presidential election added to pressure on Charles HaugheyâÂÂs leadership. In 1991, Reynolds publicly indicated he would contest the leadership if a vacancy arose, as discontent grew among TDs and senators; a largely rural group of supporters boosted his profile within the party. In November 1991, a motion of no confidence in Haughey was tabled by Seán Power; Reynolds and Pádraig Flynn backed the motion and were dismissed from cabinet, and Haughey subsequently survived the vote by 55âÂÂ22.
HaugheyâÂÂs position eroded further amid controversies over ministerial appointments and renewed revelations linked to the 1980s phoneâÂÂtapping affair; the PDs indicated they could not continue in government with him as Taoiseach, precipitating his decision to step down in early 1992.
On 30 January 1992, Charles Haughey retired as leader of Fianna Fáil at a parliamentary party meeting; Albert Reynolds then defeated Mary O'Rourke and Michael Woods in the 1992 Fianna Fáil leadership election and was elected Taoiseach on 11 February 1992.
Reynolds overhauled the cabinet on taking office, excluding several longâÂÂserving Haughey loyalists and promoting figures who had been critical of Haughey, while retaining Bertie Ahern as Minister for Finance.
On ReynoldsâÂÂs first day as Taoiseach, the government confronted the âÂÂX Case,â concerning whether a 14âÂÂyearâÂÂold pregnant through rape could obtain an abortion; the Attorney General, Harry Whelehan, sought an injunction to restrain travel, the High Court granted it, and the Supreme Court then held abortion lawful where there was a real and substantial risk to the womanâÂÂs life, including risk of suicide; three related constitutional amendments (travel, information, and excluding suicide as a ground) were put to referendum alongside the 1992 general election, with travel and information passing and the suicideâÂÂexclusion defeated.
Reynolds negotiated additional supports for Ireland within the EUâÂÂs regional aid framework during the Maastricht ratification period after DenmarkâÂÂs initial rejection, as subsequent arrangements clarified optâÂÂouts and facilitated overall treaty implementation.
Amid revelations at the Beef Tribunal that heightened tensions with coalition partners, including disputes between Reynolds and Desmond OâÂÂMalley over export credit policy, the Progressive Democrats withdrew support, triggering a dissolution and the 1992 general election. Fianna FáilâÂÂs vote fell and the party lost nine seats; Labour surged to a historic high of 33 seats, and in January 1993 Fianna Fáil formed a new government with Labour, with Reynolds as Taoiseach and Dick Spring as Tánaiste.
In 1993, Minister for Finance Bertie Ahern introduced a tax amnesty that provoked controversy and sharpened policy divisions within the coalition; Fianna Fáil then suffered defeats in the Mayo West and Dublin SouthâÂÂCentral byâÂÂelections on 9 June 1994, further weakening the governmentâÂÂs position.
The Beef Tribunal (chaired by Liam Hamilton) concluded in July 1994, detailing malpractice in the industry, including tax issues at Goodman International; Labour insisted it would leave the government if the report criticised Reynolds, and coalition trust deteriorated amid disagreements over the handling and presentation of the report.
ReynoldsâÂÂs principal achievement as Taoiseach was advancing the Northern Ireland peace process. Negotiations with UK prime minister John Major produced the Downing Street Declaration (15 December 1993), which framed principles for inclusive politics and nonâÂÂviolence; Reynolds and John Hume subsequently helped secure the IRA ceasefire on 31 August 1994.
In September 1994, Reynolds was left waiting at Shannon Airport when Russian president Boris Yeltsin failed to disembark; reports variously attributed the episode to illness, a cardiac event, or oversleeping, and Yeltsin later said he had overslept.
In late 1994, the appointment of Attorney General Harry Whelehan as President of the High Court amid controversy over prior handling of extradition in the Brendan Smyth case precipitated a coalition rupture; Labour withdrew from government on 16 November, and Reynolds resigned as Taoiseach on 17 November 1994, remaining in a caretaker capacity until John Bruton took office on 15 December 1994.
On 19 November 1994, Reynolds resigned as Fianna Fáil leader; Bertie Ahern was unanimously elected as his successor, though Máire Geoghegan-Quinn withdrew before the vote, and an anticipated renewal of the Fianna FáilâÂÂLabour coalition under Ahern collapsed during negotiations, leading Labour to form a Rainbow Coalition with Fine Gael and Democratic Left.
On 4 February 1995, Reynolds was interviewed at length by broadcaster Andrew Neil on Channel 4âÂÂs oneâÂÂtoâÂÂone currentâÂÂaffairs format produced by Open Media, reflecting continued media interest in his role after office.
At the beginning of 1997, reports indicated that Bertie Ahern had encouraged Reynolds to consider roles linked to the peace process and to weigh a presidential run; Fianna Fáil won the 1997 general election, and the party ultimately selected Mary McAleese as its presidential nominee after internal ballots among prospective candidates including Reynolds and Michael OâÂÂKennedy, with McAleese going on to serve as the eighth president of Ireland.
Reynolds retired from politics at the 2002 general election after 25 years as a TD; asked in 2007 about relations with Ahern, he said, âÂÂI donâÂÂt bear any grudges over Ahern.âÂÂ
Reynolds was involved in a landmark libel action against The Sunday Times concerning a 1994 article about Dáil statements tied to the Brendan Smyth affair; the House of Lordsâ judgment in Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd UKHL 45 established a qualifiedâÂÂprivilege defence for responsible publicâÂÂinterest journalism later colloquially known as the âÂÂReynolds defence,â while Irish reform introduced a âÂÂfair and reasonable publicationâ defence in defamation law.
In 2007, Irish media reported ReynoldsâÂÂs informal involvement in PakistanâÂÂU.S. backâÂÂchannel contacts at the request of business associates following General Pervez MusharrafâÂÂs 1999 coup, including relaying messages to President Bill Clinton and, after 9/11, to President George W. Bush; Reynolds later described the exchanges as aimed at deâÂÂescalation and dialogue, while acknowledging the interruption of nascent IndiaâÂÂPakistan talks by global events.
In 1993, Reynolds and Minister for Finance Bertie Ahern wrote to developer Owen OâÂÂCallaghan seeking a substantial donation while OâÂÂCallaghan was lobbying for state support for a stadium at Neilstown; the Mahon Tribunal found the payment was not corrupt but said soliciting funds in those circumstances was âÂÂentirely inappropriateâ and an abuse of political power and government authority.
In November 2007, tribunal evidence also addressed fundraising on a New York trip and an unscheduled fiveâÂÂhour stopover in the Bahamas while on government business, matters that Reynolds contested in subsequent appearances and public statements.
ReynoldsâÂÂs annual pension as a former Taoiseach was reported as â¬149,740 at the time of a 2011 survey of officeâÂÂholder pensions by the Irish Independent.
In July 2008, RTàreported that Reynolds was deemed medically unfit to give tribunal evidence because of âÂÂsignificant cognitive impairment,â after prior scheduled appearances had been postponed; this determination was furnished to the tribunal and reported publicly at the time.
In December 2013, it was revealed by his son that Reynolds was in the last stages of Alzheimer's disease. Reynolds died on 21 August 2014. The last politician to visit him was former British prime minister Sir John Major, a close friend of Reynolds. The serving Taoiseach, Enda Kenny of Fine Gael, said at the time: <blockquote>As Taoiseach he played an important part in bringing together differing strands of political opinion in Northern Ireland and as a consequence made an important contribution to the development of the peace process which eventually lead to the Good Friday Agreement.</blockquote> The funeral was held at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook, on 25 August 2014. It was attended by President Michael D. Higgins, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, former British prime minister John Major, former SDLP leader John Hume, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers, former president Mary McAleese, former Taoisigh Liam Cosgrave, John Bruton, Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke. Other guests included former ministers Charlie McCreevy, Padraig Flynn, Dermot Ahern and Noel Dempsey, fashion designer Louise Kennedy and racehorse owner J. P. McManus. Another visitor was Jean Kennedy Smith, former US ambassador to Ireland, who was the last surviving sibling of John F. Kennedy. Reynolds was buried at Shanganagh Cemetery with full military honours.
His successor as Fianna Fáil leader, Bertie Ahern, who as Taoiseach was one of the negotiators of peace in Northern Ireland and had long been a political ally and friend, said on Reynolds's death:
The Archbishop of Dublin, who attended the service, commented on Reynolds's determined character: Former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Brian Cowen expressed his sadness at the passing of their "close personal friend".
Michael O'Leary, the chief executive officer of Ryanair, said: