Cosgrave, Liam

Cosgrave, Liam

(kŏz`grāv), 1920–2017, Irish statesman; son of William CosgraveCosgrave, William Thomas
, 1880–1965, Irish statesman; father of Liam Cosgrave. A member of Sinn Féin, he fought in the Easter Rebellion (1916) and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
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. After studying law, he entered the Dáil ÉireannDáil Éireann
[Irish,=diet of Ireland], the popular representative body of the Oireachtas, or National Parliament, of the Republic of Ireland. The second, smaller chamber, the Saenad Éireann, or Senate, has very limited powers, and the executive, as
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 as a Fine Gael member in 1943 and served as minister of commerce and industry (1948–54), minister for external affairs (1954–57), and chairman of the first Irish delegation to the United Nations (1956). He became leader of the party in 1965, and in Mar., 1973, following the general election, he was made prime minister. In the face of continuing deterioration of the political situation in Northern Ireland, Cosgrave supported the British government in its establishment of a coalition executive there and its plans for a Council of Ireland to link the governments of the republic and the North. Fine Gael's defeat in 1977 was attributed to increasing inflation and unemployment; Cosgrave stepped down as party leader and was succeeded by Garrett FitzGeraldFitzGerald, Garrett,
1926–2011, Irish political leader. After studying economics and law, he lectured (1959–73) in political economy at his alma mater, University College.
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. He retired from the Dáil in 1981.