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Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (b.1950), former Irish Fianna Fáil politician.
Máire Geoghegan was born on 5 September 1950 in County Galway. She was educated in Mayo and at a teacher training college in Dublin. Her father, Johnny Geoghegan, was Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West from 1954 until his death in 1975. His daughter successfully contested the subsequent by-election and was successful. Between 1977 and 1979 she worked as Parliamentary Secretary at the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy. Appointed to the then Junior Cabinet post of Minister for the Gaeltacht in 1979, she became the first woman to hold an Irish cabinet post since the foundation of the state in 1922, although Countess Markiewicz was Minister for Labour in 1919. In 1981 Labour's Eileen Desmond became the first woman to hold a senior post.
in 1982 she was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Education. In 1987 she became Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach. She resigned in 1991 in opposition to Charles Haughey's leadership of the party. The following year Albert Reynolds became Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader. Máire Geoghegan-Quinn was appointed Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications. In 1993 she became Minister for Justice. She introduced substantial law reform legislation.
When Reynolds resigned as party leader she announced that she would challenge Bertie Ahern for the position. However on the day of the vote she withdrew from the contest. In 1997 she retired from politics. She became a non-executive director with Aer Lingus and a journalist. In 1999 she was appointed to the European Court of Auditors.
Political Career
| Preceded by: Denis Gallagher | Minister for the Gaeltacht 1979–1981 | Succeeded by: Paddy O'Toole |
| Preceded by: Séamus Brennan | Minister for Toursim, Transport & Communications 1992-1993 | Succeeded by: Charlie McCreevy |
| Preceded by: Pádraig Flynn | Minister for Justice 1993-1994 | Succeeded by: Nora Owen |
| Preceded by: Mervyn Taylor | Minister for Equality & Law Reform 1994 | Succeeded by: Mervyn Taylor |