Irish Prime Minister. Born William Michael Cosgrave, he served as the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland from March 14, 1973 to July 5, 1977. His father, William Thomas Cosgrave, served as the first president of the Executive Council (prime minister) of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932. He was educated at Castleknock College, Dublin, studied law at King's Inns, and entered the Irish bar in 1943. In that same year, he entered Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Irish Parliament) and retained his seat until his retirement from politics in 1981. He would later go on to serve in various government positions through the years. In 1965, he became the leader of the Fine Gael party and eight years later, when the Fine Gael combined forces with the Labour Party in a coalition government, he became Taoiseach (Prime Minister). He served in this position for four years until 1977 when his National Coalition was defeated in the general election. During his tenure as Taoiseach, he, along with British Prime Minister Edward Heath, were the main participants in the intergovernmental conference at Sunningdale in December of 1973 that started the short-lived Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive (which lasted one year). He was intensely conservative on social issues and shocked his cabinet colleagues by voting against his own government's bill on liberalizing the sale of contraceptives in 1974. After his retirement from politics in 1981, he reduced his involvement in public life, but occasionally made public appearances.
Irish Prime Minister. Born William Michael Cosgrave, he served as the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland from March 14, 1973 to July 5, 1977. His father, William Thomas Cosgrave, served as the first president of the Executive Council (prime minister) of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932. He was educated at Castleknock College, Dublin, studied law at King's Inns, and entered the Irish bar in 1943. In that same year, he entered Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Irish Parliament) and retained his seat until his retirement from politics in 1981. He would later go on to serve in various government positions through the years. In 1965, he became the leader of the Fine Gael party and eight years later, when the Fine Gael combined forces with the Labour Party in a coalition government, he became Taoiseach (Prime Minister). He served in this position for four years until 1977 when his National Coalition was defeated in the general election. During his tenure as Taoiseach, he, along with British Prime Minister Edward Heath, were the main participants in the intergovernmental conference at Sunningdale in December of 1973 that started the short-lived Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive (which lasted one year). He was intensely conservative on social issues and shocked his cabinet colleagues by voting against his own government's bill on liberalizing the sale of contraceptives in 1974. After his retirement from politics in 1981, he reduced his involvement in public life, but occasionally made public appearances.
Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye
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