Seán Flanagan (26 January 1922 – 5 February 1993) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and Gaelic footballer who served as Minister for Health from 1966 to 1969, Minister for Lands from 1969 to 1973 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce from 1965 to 1966. He served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Connacht–Ulster constituency from 1979 to 1989. He was as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo South constituency from 1951 to 1969 and for the Mayo East constituency from 1969 to 1977.{{cite web |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Se%C3%A1n-Flanagan.D.1951-06-13/ |title=Seán Flanagan |work=Oireachtas Members Database |access-date=9 July 2019 |archive-date=9 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709170929/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Se%25C3%25A1n-Flanagan.D.1951-06-13/ |url-status=live }}

Early life

Flanagan was born in Coolnaha, Aghamore, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo in 1922.{{cite web|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/flanagan-sean-a3270|title=Flanagan, Seán|work=Dictionary of Irish Biography|last=Ferriter|first=Diarmaid|access-date=21 December 2022}} He was educated locally, then later at St Jarlath's College in Tuam, County Galway, where he showed enthusiasm for sport. He won two Connacht championship medals with the college in 1939 and 1940. He briefly studied at the seminary at Clonliffe College in Dublin and then enrolled in University College Dublin, where he studied law and qualified as a solicitor.

Football career

Flanagan also played senior Gaelic football for Mayo. He captained the All-Ireland final-winning sides of 1950 and 1951 and won five Connacht senior championship medals in all. He also won two National Football League titles in 1949 and 1954. While still a footballer, Flanagan entered into a career in politics.

In recognition of his skills and long-running contribution to the sport, Flanagan was awarded the 1992 All-Time All Star Award as no GAA All Stars Awards were being issued at the time of his playing career. In 1984, the Gaelic Athletic Association centenary year he was honoured by being named on their Football Team of the Century. In 1999, he was again honoured by the GAA by being named on their Gaelic Football Team of the Millennium.

Political career

Flanagan came from a Fianna Fáil family and was recruited into the party in east Mayo. He was elected a Fianna Fáil TD for Mayo South at the 1951 general election, and won a seat—first there, then from 1969 in Mayo East—at each subsequent election until he lost his seat at the 1977 general election.{{cite web |url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2439 |title=Seán Flanagan |work=ElectionsIreland.org |access-date=28 December 2011 |archive-date=18 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018202510/http://electionsireland.org//candidate.cfm?id=2439 |url-status=live }}

Flanagan rose rapidly through the party ranks and was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary under Taoiseach Seán Lemass in 1959. Alongside Charles Haughey and Brian Lenihan, he was part of the "mohair suite" brigade of young moderniser TDs.{{Cite book |last=Browne |first=Vincent |title=The Magill Book of Irish Politics |publisher=Magill Publications |year=1981 |isbn=0950765902 |location=Dublin |pages=195}} In the Fianna Fáil leadership election in 1966 Flanagan supported Jack Lynch. When Lynch became Taoiseach, Flanagan was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister for Health. Three years later in 1969, he became Minister for Lands. Flanagan lost his seat at the 1977 general election, and effectively retired from domestic politics; however, he was elected to the European Parliament in the first direct elections in 1979. He was re-elected in 1984, and retired from politics in 1989.