Charlie Flanagan's departure: A political dynasty which spanned 80 years in Laois and Offaly

Charlie Flanagan was first elected to Dail Eireann for Laois-Offaly in the general election of November 1987.

He served as a member of Laois County Council from 1987 until the end of the dual mandate in 2004.

A solicitor by profession he took up the baton passed by his late father, Oliver J. who was a TD for the constituency from 1943 to 1987, and served as Minister for Defence for a brief period from 1976 to 1977.

With the exception of a hiatus in the early 2000s when he lost his seat in the Fine Gael meltdown of 2002, the Flanagan name has been at the forefront of Laois politics for the best part of 80 years.

Charlie Flanagan's early political career saw him serve as front bench party spokesperson in a multitude of portfolios including health, trade and employment, children and youth affairs and justice, equality and defence.
He was also Fine Gael Spokesperson on Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2000 and Vice-Chair of the British-Irish Parliamentary group from 1997 to 2000.

He was Fine Gael Chief Whip from 2000-2002 and Chairperson of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party from 2011 to 2014.
Ministerial office intially eluded him in the Rainbow government of the mid 1990s and then in the early years of Enda Kenny's administration after 2011, an election in which Flanagan topped the poll in Laois-Offaly.

Backing Richard Bruton in a leadership heave against Kenny in 2010 stymied his aspirations for ministerial promotion in the early years of that government.

Eventually, however, he was made Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in 2014, and served in this portfolio for a few weeks before a cabinet reshuffle saw him go to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

When appointed in 2014 he became the first Laois man to sit at cabinet level since his father Oliver J. did in 1976-77.
Up to then Laois had sporadic representation at ministerial level, stretching back to the foundation of the State when Kevin O’Higgins was a Minister, prior to his assassination.

Other Laois Ministers included Dr Tom O’Higgins, TF O’Higgins and Paddy Lalor. Flanagan's fellow native Mountmellick man John Moloney also served as a junior minister.

When appointed he was the third government Minister to have been educated at Knockbeg College following on from Kevin O’Higgins and Paddy Lalor. He also had the distinction of joining a select group of father and sons who served at cabinet level.

In his time as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, he represented the government in the talks leading to the Stormont House Agreement of 2014 and the Fresh Start Agreement of 2015. As Minister for Foreign Affairs he launched the results of the first review of Irish foreign policy priorities for 20 years, which saw the selection of five signature policies encompassing the combating of poverty and hunger, advancing human rights, promoting disarmament, commitment to UN peacekeeping, sharing the experience of peace, and reconciliation on the island of Ireland.

He was appointed Minister for Justice and Equality in June 2017, a portfolio he held until June 2020.
He appointed the current Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris.

One of his early acts in Justice was to confirm and present Scott Medals for bravery to four retired Gardaí and the family of a dead garda who was murdered by the IRA in a bomb attack in Garryhinch in 1976. The injured survivors and the dead garda were investigating a threat to the life of Oliver J. Flanagan at the time when they walked into an ambush.

Charlie Flanagan was considered liberal on most social issues. His views on politics were tempered by its inherent volatile nature.

“I have often described politics as like a game of snakes and ladders,” he told the Leinster Express in 2014. “There are good days and there are bad days. In politics, being elected to the Dail on a number of occasions is always a good day, and I have had some bad days.

“In politics, it’s probably the only profession that I know where there is a reappraisal or interview every four or five years.
“That’s democracy and I am fundamentally a great believer in democracy and I regard it as a great honour and privilege to be asked to serve at the highest level in Irish politics.”

Honoured with a civic reception by Laois County Council in 2017 the then Minister for Foreign Affairs said he couldn’t think of better values than those instilled into him by his father Oliver J Flanagan.These were: Respect the dignity of each and every person and try to treat others as you would like others to treat you.

Politics were becoming less stable, the Minister noted on that occasion. He noted there was gratuitous abuse and populism where simple answers were given to very difficult and complex problems.

“We need to stand up for values and freedom of expression - to be tolerant, he stated. “It behoves us all to be vigilant. To quote Thomas Jefferson, vigilance is the price of freedom.

“We should not lose sight of that. We need to reaffirm and remind ourselves that the European Union was set up after the ravages of two world wars in which millions of people died. I am a committed European. I always have been.”

Speaking of the civic reception, he stated, “I regard this as a huge honour and a great privilege for me and my family.”

“I feel very proud of my county, very proud of having had the opportunity to serve on Mountmellick Town Council and the County Council.”