Mar.–Dec. 1982
In office
July 1977 – 24 January 1984
In office
July 1969 – February 1973
Constituency
In office
1 June 1973 – 27 October 1977
Constituency
Personal details
Born
(1932-01-29)29 January 1932
Clara, County Offaly, Ireland
Died
24 January 1984(1984-01-24) (aged 51)
Dublin, Ireland
Political party
Spouse
Mary Cowen
Children
Bernard Francis Cowen (29 January 1932 – 24 January 1984) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Minister of State from March 1982 to December 1982. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Laois–Offaly constituency from 1969 to 1973 and 1977 to 1984. He was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 1973 to 1977.[1]
Born in Clara, County Offaly, the son of Christy Cowen, a cattle dealer and a Fianna Fáil member who served as a member of Offaly County Council from 1932 until his death in 1967. Cowen was educated at Clara National School and subsequently attended Tullamore CBS. After completion of his secondary schooling he worked in the family business which included a public house and a butcher shop. He later became an auctioneer.
Cowen first held political office in 1967, when he was co-opted onto Offaly County Council, following the death of his father. Later that year he headed the poll in the Tullamore area and retained his seat until his death.
Cowen was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for Laois–Offaly constituency at the 1969 general election.[2] Fianna Fáil returned to government for the fourth successive time following a general election, however, as a new TD, Cowen remained on the backbenches. He lost his seat at the 1973 general election as a Fine Gael-Labour coalition government was formed. Cowen, however, was subsequently elected to the 13th Seanad for the Agricultural Panel.
Cowen returned to the Dáil following the 1977 general election, when Fianna Fáil returned to power in a landslide. Once again he remained on the backbenches.
In 1979, Jack Lynch resigned as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil. Cowen supported the bid of Charles Haughey for the leadership. Haughey won the subsequent leadership election. Although he had supported Haughey, Cowen failed to secure promotion to ministerial office.
A period of political instability followed with three general elections being held throughout 1981 and 1982. Cowen retained his seat in all of these elections. In March 1982, he was promoted to junior ministerial level, when he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture with special responsibility for disadvantaged areas. He held that position until December of the same year, when Fianna Fáil lost office.
While attending a meeting of Offaly County Council in January 1984, Cowen was taken ill. He was taken to St. Vincent's HospitalinDublin. He died several days later on 24 January 1984. He was survived by his wife, Mary, and three sons. The consequent by-election for his seat in the 24th Dáil was won by his second son, Brian, who later served as Taoiseach from 2008 to 2011. In 2011, Bernard Cowen's youngest son, Barry, was elected to the seat previously held by his father and brother, having previously been an Offaly County Councillor for the Tullamore local electoral area.
Political offices
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture
with Lorcan Allen
Mar.–Dec. 1982
Dáil
Election
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
2nd
1921
Joseph Lynch
(SF)
Patrick McCartan
(SF)
Francis Bulfin
(SF)
Kevin O'Higgins
(SF)
4 seats
1921–1923
3rd
1922
William Davin
(Lab)
Patrick McCartan
(PT-SF)
Francis Bulfin
(PT-SF)
Kevin O'Higgins
(PT-SF)
4th
1923
Laurence Brady
(Rep)
Francis Bulfin
(CnaG)
Patrick Egan
(CnaG)
Seán McGuinness
(Rep)
1926 by-election
James Dwyer
(CnaG)
5th
1927 (Jun)
Patrick Boland
(FF)
Thomas Tynan
(FF)
John Gill
(Lab)
6th
1927 (Sep)
Patrick Gorry
(FF)
William Aird
(CnaG)
7th
1932
Thomas F. O'Higgins
(CnaG)
Eugene O'Brien
(CnaG)
8th
1933
Eamon Donnelly
(FF)
Jack Finlay
(NCP)
9th
1937
Patrick Gorry
(FF)
Jack Finlay
(FG)
10th
1938
Daniel Hogan
(FF)
11th
1943
Oliver J. Flanagan
(IMR)
12th
1944
13th
1948
Tom O'Higgins, Jnr
(FG)
Oliver J. Flanagan
(Ind)
14th
1951
Peadar Maher
(FF)
15th
1954
Nicholas Egan
(FF)
1956 by-election
Kieran Egan
(FF)
16th
1957
17th
1961
Patrick Lalor
(FF)
18th
1965
Henry Byrne
(Lab)
19th
1969
Ger Connolly
(FF)
Bernard Cowen
(FF)
Tom Enright
(FG)
20th
1973
Charles McDonald
(FG)
21st
1977
Bernard Cowen
(FF)
22nd
1981
Liam Hyland
(FF)
23rd
1982 (Feb)
24th
1982 (Nov)
1984 by-election
Brian Cowen
(FF)
25th
1987
Charles Flanagan
(FG)
26th
1989
27th
1992
Pat Gallagher
(Lab)
28th
1997
John Moloney
(FF)
Seán Fleming
(FF)
Tom Enright
(FG)
29th
2002
Olwyn Enright
(FG)
Tom Parlon
(PDs)
30th
2007
Charles Flanagan
(FG)
31st
2011
Brian Stanley
(SF)
Barry Cowen
(FF)
32nd
2016
Constituency abolished. See Laois and Offaly.
Dáil
Election
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
33rd
2020
Brian Stanley
(SF)
Carol Nolan
(Ind)
Barry Cowen
(FF)
Seán Fleming
(FF)
Charles Flanagan
(FG)
Elected or nominated later