Long-serving Mayo TD creates record as Fine Gael Taoiseach
CASTLEBAR'S Enda Kenny has become Fine Gael's longest serving Taoiseach, breaking the record held by John A. Costello.
Today is Mr. Kenny's 2,234th day in office.
He has represented the people of Mayo as a Fine Gael member of Dáil Éireann since 1975, making him the longest serving TD in Leinster House.
He was first elected to the post of An Taoiseach on March 9, 2011, and has served continuously since.
In the 2011 general election Fine Gael won an unprecedented 76 seats, with Mr. Kenny going on to lead a Fine Gael/Labour Party coalition government until 2016.
The leader of Fine Gael since June 2002, he was re-elected Taoiseach for a second term on May 6, 2016.
The government of the 32nd Dáil he now leads is historic in that it is comprised of Fine Gael and various Independents and facilitated from opposition by Fianna Fáil.
In the local elections in 2009 Fine Gael won 340 seats, becoming the largest party at local level for the first time in history.
A former member of Mayo County Council and Mayo VEC, he served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 – 1997, overseeing an unprecedented growth in tourism business and Ireland’s trade position internationally.
He was Minister for State at the Department of Education, Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Western Development, Youth Affairs and Sport in the 1980s.
Some other facts posted on the Department of An Taoiseach website are as follows.
Enda is married to Fionnuala. They have three grown up children.
He is a keen cyclist and has participated in many charity cycles.
He enjoys hillwalking, having climbed Croagh Patrick in his native Mayo over 100 times and also Kilimanjaro for charity.
He enjoys annual family holidays in Kerry.
He is a keen reader of many genres, particularly Irish political and military history.
He is a fluent Irish speaker.
He is a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen.
He played for, managed and coached his local GAA team Islandeady for many years.
Enda is a strong supporter of the Mayo football team, travelling to see them play whenever possible. His late father Henry Kenny won All Ireland Football honours with Mayo in 1936 which is a particular source of pride for the Taoiseach.