Michael D'Arcy

For his son, see Michael W. D'Arcy.

Michael D'Arcy
Minister of State
1982–1986Fisheries and Forestry
1981–1982Agriculture
Teachta Dála
In office
June 1997 – May 2002
In office
June 1989 – November 1992
In office
June 1977 – February 1987
ConstituencyWexford
Senator
In office
17 February 1993 – 6 June 1997
ConstituencyAgricultural Panel
Personal details
Born(1934-03-07)7 March 1934
County Wexford, Ireland
Died1 May 2024(2024-05-01) (aged 90)
County Wexford, Ireland
Political partyFine Gael
SpouseMarie D'Arcy
Children4, including Michael

Michael D'Arcy (7 March 1934 – 1 May 2024) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, who served as a TD for the Wexford constituency.[1]

D'Arcy's political career began in 1958, when his father Timothy died and Michael was co-opted into his county council seat, which he served in for fifteen years.[2] He was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1977 general election, and held his seat until the 1987 general election when he lost it to Brendan Howlin of the Labour Party.[3] He was re-elected at the 1989 general election, at the expense of party colleague Avril Doyle, but she regained her seat at the 1992 general election. D'Arcy was then elected to the 20th Seanad on the Agricultural Panel.

At the 1997 general election he was returned to the 28th Dáil, again unseating Avril Doyle. He lost his seat again at the 2002 general election, this time to the independent candidate Liam Twomey, who later joined Fine Gael.

In 1981, in Garret FitzGerald's first government, D'Arcy was appointed a Minister of State for Agriculture. In FitzGerald's second government in 1982, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Fisheries and Forestry and at the Department of the Gaeltacht.[4] He was dismissed in February 1986.[5]

In 1999 D'Arcy was elected to Gorey Town Council; and was re-elected at the 2004 local elections, and retired in 2009.[3]

D'Arcy was married to Marie, and they had four children. A son Michael W. D'Arcy is a former TD and senator.[6]

D'Arcy died on 1 May 2024, at the age of 90.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Michael D'Arcy". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  2. ^ "'Scrapper' D'Arcy is confident of victory". Irish Independent. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Michael D'Arcy". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  4. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (24th Dáil) – Thursday, 16 December 1982". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Announcement by Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (24th Dáil) – Tuesday, 18 February 1986". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  6. ^ "D'Arcy marks 50 years in politics". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Tributes pour in for well-known former Wexford politician Michael D'Arcy". Irish Independent. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  8. ^ "The death has occurred of Michael D'Arcy". RIP.ie. Retrieved 2 May 2024.