TRIBUTES have poured in for the former “Mammy of the Dail” Mary O’Rourke, who has sadly passed away at the age of 87.
The trailblazing politician spent 30 years in the Dail and held a number of ministerial positions.
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Born in Athlone, Co Westmeath, she was a teacher and local councillor before she was first elected in to the Dail in 1982.
She came from Fianna Fail royalty, as her dad PJ Lenihan and brother Brian Lenihan were also TDs.
She would go on to serve in the Dail until 2002 when she lost her seat following her backing of the privatisation of Telecom Eireann, which cost many small investors a lot of money.
Charlie Haughey appointed Mary O’Rourke Education Minister in 1987 with her brother Brian Lenihan serving as Foreign Affairs Minister – making the siblings the first brother and sister to sit on the same Cabinet in Irish history.
Mary would go on to serve as Health Minister before taking up the position of Public Enterprise Minister under Bertie Ahern.
She challenged to become Fianna Fail leader but was beaten by Albert Reynolds, before later becoming deputy leader until she lost her Dail seat in 2002.
After losing her seat in 2002, she was appointed leader of the Seanad by then-taoiseach Bertie Ahern before she eventually returned to the Dail in the 2007 general election.
During this term she was often referred to as the “Mammy of the Dail” before retiring in 2011.
In her personal life, Mary was educated at St Peter’s in Athlone and then Loreto Bray in Co Wicklow before going to college in UCD and St Patrick’s College in Maynooth. She once said she wanted to be a journalist.
She was married to businessman Enda O’Rourke, who was once managing director of Midland Oil and formerly owned a dealership.
EARLY LOVE
They met at the Hodson Bay Hotel, which her father Patrick owned and her mother ran, at the age of 18 but split after dating for two years. However, they got back together six months later, when Mary was 21, and married a year after that.
He was retired when he passed away in 2001 after suffering a severe stroke.
She said Enda “was always so encouraging” and that she “never would have got so far in politics without him”.
They were parents to Aengus, who is Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, and Feargal, who is the current chair of the IDA.
Feargal, was also the managing partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Ireland and the architect of the Double Irish tax scheme, which is used by US firms like Apple and Google here.
MENTAL FIGHT
In 2014, she told how she fell into a post-natal depression after the birth of Feargal and how Enda would come home to find her on the floor in tears while feeding him.
She told the Irish Independent at the time: “I went on medication and got great advice, so gradually I came out of it.
“At that time, nobody talked about it — and they still don’t, really.
“I was dying for this child — every Irish woman would love a son.
START OF CAREER
“I had all of my life’s desires — a beautiful son, lovely house and great husband, but I was depressed.”
Mary became a teacher when Feargal was two and the couple adopted Aengus at just six days old when Feargal was four.
But she eventually gave up teaching and got a position on the county council, starting her road to the big leagues.
In 2011, she lost her nephew, Brian Lenihan, who was Finance Minister during the worst of the crash. He was 52 when he passed away from pancreatic cancer.
LOSS OF NEPHEW
She said: “Brian was battling an illness, battling the public and battling the bullying from Europe on his own.
“I think of him as a patriot because he died for his country.
“As well as being my nephew, we were workmates as well, and I think of him a lot.
“I always feel his presence very strongly, which is a comfort, and sometimes I even think I physically see him, but of course I don’t. He is just very much with me still.”
MEDIA APPEARANCES
Away from politics, Mary made regular media appearances on shows like RTE’s Celebrity Bainisteoir and Sex & Sensibility.
She wrote a book, Just Mary: My Memoir, which won the 2012 Irish Book Award in the Listeners’ Choice category.
In June 2020, Mary told how she was over the moon to get visits from her grandkids as Covid-19 restrictions eased after a “terrible” first few months where she could only see them from a car window.
She told the Irish Sunday Mirror at the time: “I haven’t seen my grandchildren, apart from through the window of a car. They blow kisses at me. I’ve missed them so much.
COVID STRUGGLES
“I’d been in my garden, reading poetry, writing, it was very mindful.
“But it’s hard to explain the exhilaration I felt when I was able to turn the key in the door and get into my car and see people walking down the street.
“I was going nowhere but it meant everything at the time. The little things were amazing and from now on I hope we don’t take the little things for granted.”
In August 2022, O’Rourke was said to have been on the road to recovery after a long battle with sepsis.
LATE ILLNESS
Her son Aengus revealed that she had spent almost four months in hospital after being struck down with the blood poisoning illness in 2021.
Aengus said the sepsis developed after a battle with a skin infection.
He said: “Sepsis from a bout of cellulitis last December left Mam very ill and very weak.
“She was on very heavy medication for much of the first four months of this year.
‘SPARKLING FORM’ BEFORE DEATH
“Mam was in Tullamore General Hospital for two months, then St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin for another month or so.”
In his tribute on X today, Feargal said that Mary “almost died” in Christmas 2021 of the condition but had recently been in “sparkling form”.
Feargal paid tribute to his mum who he said “loved us to bit and taught us to respect everyone”.
Alongside a photo of his mother on social media, Feargal said: “My mum passed earlier this afternoon.
‘LOVED US TO BITS’
“To many she was a former teacher, politician, broadcaster, author but to myself and Aengus she was our mum.
“She loved us to bits, taught us to respect everyone, to be honest, to work hard and study hard and to love our family.”
He added: “She almost died in Christmas 2021 but recovered to be looked after exceptionally well in the Fern Dean Nursing home in Deansgrange. The last 7 or 8 weeks she has been in sparkling form – reading the paper and enjoying the visits of family and friends.”
Sharing a picture of Mary, he concluded: “This picture was taken on 14 September – what would have been her 64th wedding anniversary. Reunited now with dad, the love of her life.”
‘REMARKABLE WOMAN’
Ceann Comhairle Sean O’Fearghail today interrupted Dail proceedings to announce the death of Mary, who he described as a “highly regarded and colourful” woman.
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin served in the same Cabinet as Mary O’Rourke from 1997 to 2002.
The Tanaiste also paid a touching tribute to the Fianna Fail legend who he described as “a remarkable woman”.
He said: “It was a privilege to serve with her in cabinet from 1997-2002, where I witnessed firsthand her intelligence, leadership, and deep commitment to public service.
‘COMMANDING AND ENGAGING’
“Beyond her political achievements, Mary was a commanding and engaging figure – an insightful observer of both political life and societal trends.
“Her wit and keen sense of the country, both in its present state and future potential, made her a cherished colleague and friend.
“My thoughts are with her family during this difficult time, especially Feargal and Aengus and her grandchildren. She will be deeply missed.”
Taoiseach Simon Harris described Mary O’Rourke as a “force to be reckoned with.”
‘DEFT OPERATOR’
He said: “Mary was a force to be reckoned with, both in terms of political nous and in terms of being a magnetic personality that drew people in. She had a wicked sense of humour and a fantastic turn of phrase.
“However, Mary was a deft operator and her career, spanning three decades, saw her reach the top of Irish politics and take on the boy’s club, with vim.
“She was a grassroots politician in every sense of the word and has written poignantly about the love and support of her husband and partner in life, Enda, and of the loss and grieving of his death. She sparked a conversation that many people found great comfort in.”
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said: “I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Mary O’Rourke.
‘ONE OF A KIND’
“She was unique, one of a kind. She has left a lasting legacy and served the country that she loved with such great distinction.”
Tributes came in from political parties across the Dail last night with Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy stating: “I really liked Mary O’Rourke.
“Had a couple of very entertaining phone conversations some years back which still make me laugh. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.”
