Fintan Coogan, Snr

Who was Fintan Coogan, Snr?

Fintan Coogan was a Fine Gael politician from Galway in Ireland. A blacksmith before entering politics, he was a Teachta Dála for over twenty years, and served three times as Mayor of Galway.

Coogan unsuccessfully contested the 1951 general election in the Galway West constituency, but won a seat in Dáil Éireann at the 1954 general election. He was re-elected five times until his defeat at the 1977 general election by his party colleague John Mannion.

A long-serving member of both Galway County Council and Galway City Council, Coogan served as mayor of Galway city from 1961 to 1962, 1969 to 1970 and 1974 to 1975. He was a member of the Western Health Board from 1979 until his death, when he was succeeded on the board by his son Fintan Coogan, Jnr, who was then both a TD and a county councillor, and also served several terms as Mayor of Galway.