Brendan McGahon (born 22 November 1936) is a former Irish politician in the Fine Gael party. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the constituency of Louth. Often described as 'colourful' and with a reputation as a social conservative, McGahon was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the November 1982 general election and retained his seat until retiring at the 2002 general election.

McGahon was born in Dundalk, County Louth and was educated at St. Mary's College in Dundalk. His grandfather, T.F. McGahon, was one of the inaugural members of Dundalk Urban District Council when it was created along with other Irish local authorities by the British Government in 1898. T.F. McGahon was a leading member of the Irish Parliamentary Party(IPP). He started a local newspaper, the Dundalk Democrat which was supportive of the IPP. T.F. was a critic of the War of Independence campaign, of Sinn Féin, and of the then IRA, arguing that the campaign would result in the partition of Ireland. He was later succeeded on the council by his son, O.B. McGahon. The family subsequently supported the National League Party and the Independent TD James Coburn and joined Fine Gael when Coburn joined the party.

Brendan took over the running of the family newspaper business in the 1960s and succeeded his father, O.B., on Dundalk Town Council and on Louth County Council. He played soccer for Dundalk F.C. in the Premier Division for a number of years. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the November 1982 general election defeating incumbent Fine Gael TD, Bernard Markey. He was re-elected at the next five general elections. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1981 general election and in the February 1982 general election.

A maverick and outspoken TD he was known to speak his mind on many issues including divorce, crime, single mothers, the drinks industry and was an outspoken critic of the Provisional IRA throughout his time in politics. He once advocated that paedophiles should be castrated as part of their prison sentence and was the only TD to oppose the referendum to abolish the death penalty from the Constitution. He also argued that those aged under 21 years of age should not be able to drive or drink. He did not contest the 2002 general election and retired from politics. He opposed the decriminalisation of homosexuality and said: "I regard homosexuals as being in a sad category, but I believe homosexuality to be an abnormality, some type of psycho-sexual problem that has defied explanation over the years. I do not believe that the Irish people desire this normalisation of what is clearly an abnormality. Homosexuality is a departure from normality and while homosexuals deserve our compassion they do not deserve our tolerance. That is how the man in the street thinks. I know of no homosexual who has been discriminated against. Such people have a persecution complex because they know they are different from the masses or normal society. They endure inner torment and it is not a question of the way others view them. The lord provided us with sexual organs for a specific purpose. Homosexuals are like lefthand drivers driving on the right-hand side of the road."

McGahon currently lives in Ravensdale, County Louth. His son, Conor, was a councillor from 1991–99 and his brother, Johnny, lost his seat in the 2004 Local Elections ending the family's 106 year long representation on Dundalk Town Council.

[edit] References

• This page incorporates information from this member's entry in the Oireachtas Members Database

[edit] External links

• Brendan McGahon's electoral history (ElectionsIreland.org)

This article about a Fine Gael politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e