Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins
{{Short description|Irish politician (1932–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Brigid_Hogan-O'Higgins_1971.jpg
| caption = Hogan-O'Higgins in 1971
| office = Teachta Dála
| term_start = June 1969
| term_end = June 1977
| constituency = Clare–South Galway
| term_start1 = October 1961
| term_end1 = June 1969
| constituency1 = Galway East
| term_start2 = March 1957
| term_end2 = October 1961
| constituency2 = Galway South
| birth_name = Brigid Hogan
| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|3|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Galway, Ireland
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|11|2|1932|3|10|df=y}}
| death_place = Galway, Ireland
| nationality = Irish
| party = Fine Gael
| spouse = {{marriage|Michael O'Higgins|1958|2005}}
| children = 9
| father = Patrick Hogan
| relatives = {{Ubl|Thomas F. O'Higgins
(father-in-law)|Tom O'Higgins
(brother-in-law)}}
| alma_mater =
|}}
Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins ({{nee|Hogan}}; 10 March 1932 – 2 November 2022){{cite web|url=https://rip.ie/death-notice/brigid-hogan-o-higgins--galway/513008|title=Death Notice of Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins|work=RIP.ie|date=3 November 2022}} was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1957 to 1977.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Brigid-Hogan-O'Higgins.D.1957-03-20/|title=Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins|work=Oireachtas Members Database|accessdate=25 September 2011}} She was the first woman to represent County Galway in Dáil Éireann.
Biography
Brigid Hogan was the daughter of Patrick Hogan, who died when she was 4 years old. He had been the Minister for Agriculture from 1922 to 1932.{{cite news |last=O'Loughlin |first=Ciara |date=4 November 2022 |title=First woman to represent Galway in the Dáil, Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins, has died aged 90 |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/first-woman-to-represent-galway-in-the-dail-brigid-hogan-ohiggins-has-died-aged-90-42117771.html |work=The Irish Independent |location= |access-date=4 November 2022}}
At the age of 24, she was elected as a Fine Gael TD for the Galway South constituency at the 1957 general election. In doing so, she became the first woman to represent Galway in the Dáil.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2022/11/03/brigid-hogan-ohiggins-who-has-died-aged-90-was-first-woman-to-represent-galway-in-the-dail/|title=Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins, who has died aged 90, was first woman to represent Galway in the Dáil|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=3 November 2022}} One year later she married fellow TD Michael O'Higgins and in doing so together they became the first married couple to serve in the Dáil together simultaneously.
Hogan-O'Higgins was re-elected at the 1961 general election for the Galway East constituency and again at the 1965 general election. After boundary changes, she was elected at the 1969 general election for Clare–South Galway, where she was returned for a fifth and final term at the 1973 general election.{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2683|title=Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins|work=ElectionsIreland.org|accessdate=25 September 2011}}
Hogan-O'Higgins' years as a deputy were mostly spent in opposition: Fianna Fáil was in power continuously from 1957 to 1973, and it was only in her last term (in the 20th Dáil) that Fine Gael formed a government. She was the Fine Gael spokeswoman on Posts and Telegraphs from 1969 to 1972. She was defeated at the 1977 general election, when Jack Lynch led Fianna Fáil's return to government with a large majority.
Hogan-O'Higgins' husband, Michael O'Higgins, was also a TD, as were his father, uncle, and brother. Brigid and Michael had nine children. She was the last surviving member of the 16th Dáil.
Hogan-O'Higgins died in Galway on 2 November 2022, at the age of 90.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2022/1103/1332972-brigid-hogan-ohiggins/|title=Tánaiste pays tribute to 'true public servant' Hogan-O'Higgins|work=RTÉ News|date=3 November 2022}} Commenting on her death, the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins stated she had made a "significant contribution to Irish politics" and recalled that "Both Brigid and [her husband] Michael were always courteous in respecting the views of others, while themselves offering their views with sincerity and consideration."
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-hon}}
{{s-bef|before = Kathleen O'Connor}}
{{s-ttl|title = Baby of the Dáil
|years = 1957–1958}}
{{s-aft|after = Anthony Millar}}
{{s-end}}
{{Galway South (Dáil constituency)/TDs}}
{{Galway East (Dáil constituency)/TDs}}
{{Clare–South Galway (Dáil constituency)/TDs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hogan-OHiggins, Brigid}}
Category:Members of the 16th Dáil
Category:Members of the 17th Dáil
Category:Members of the 18th Dáil
Category:Members of the 19th Dáil
Category:Members of the 20th Dáil
Category:20th-century women Teachtaí Dála