Patrick "Paddy" Lalor (born 21 July 1926) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician and a well known hurling player for Laois.

[edit] Sporting career

Paddy Lalor was a member of the last Laois team to win the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship in 1949. Later that year he helped his club Abbeyleix to win the Laois Senior Hurling Championship.

He played football and hurling for his club and county for many years and is generally regarded as one of the most skilful hurlers to have pulled on the Blue and White jersey of Laois. This was evidenced by his selection in 1999 on the Laois Hurling Team of the Millennium.

[edit] Political career

He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for over twenty years, and a minister three times. He was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt in the 1961 general election as a Fianna Fáil TD for Laois Offaly in the 17th Dáil. In 1965 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture. The following year Lalor became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport & Power and Posts & Telegraphs.

Following the 1969 election Lalor joined the cabinet of Jack Lynch as Minister for Posts & Telegraphs. In the cabinet reshuffle that took place following the Arms Crisis in 1970 he took over the Industry & Commerce portfolio, serving in that position until the 1973 general election, when a Fine Gael–Labour coalition took power.

Fianna Fáil was re-elected in a landslide victory at the 1977 general election and Lalor became Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach. In 1979 he left domestic politics to take a seat in the European Parliament. He was re-elected to Europe in 1984 and 1989.

[edit] External links

• Paddy Lalor's electoral history (ElectionsIreland.org)

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