John P. Wilson
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John P. Wilson (b. 1923) was a senior Irish politician. Wilson was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan in 1973. The constituency was renamed Cavan-Monaghan in 1977 and Wilson continued to represent its people until his retirement from politics in 1992.
After just two years in the Dáil Wilson was appointed to the Fianna Fáil Front Bench in 1975. He joined the government of Jack Lynch in 1977 taking over the Education portfolio. Since then he held many Cabinet positions including Defence, Communications and the Marine. Wilson unsuccessfully challenged the then-Tánaiste Brian Lenihan for the Fianna Fáil nomination for the 1990 presidential election. Haughey dismissed Lenihan as Tánaiste in controversial circumstances during the presidential election campaign, and Wilson then succeeded to the post.
Wilson also served as the Irish Victims Commissioner.
| Preceded by: Peter Barry | Minister for Education 1977-1981 | Succeeded by: John Boland |
| Preceded by: Patrick Cooney | Minister for Posts & Telegraphs 1982 | Succeeded by: Jim Mitchell |
| Preceded by: Jim Mitchell | Minister for Communications 1987 | Succeeded by: Ray Burke |
| Preceded by: Ray MacSharry | Minister for Tourism & Transport 1987-1989 | Succeeded by: Séamus Brennan |
| Preceded by: Brendan Daly | Minister for the Marine 1989-1992 | Succeeded by: Michael Woods |
| Preceded by: Brian Lenihan | Tánaiste 1990-1993 | Succeeded by: Dick Spring |
| Preceded by: Vincent Brady | Minister for Defence 1992-1993 | Succeeded by: David Andrews |
| Preceded by: Charles J. Haughey | Minister for the Gaeltacht 1992-1993 | Succeeded by: Michael D. Higgins |