Madeleine Taylor-Quinn

Who is Madeleine Taylor-Quinn?

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn is a former Irish Fine Gael politician who served for over twenty years in the Oireachtas as a Teachta Dála for Clare and as a Senator.

Born Madeleine Taylor in Kilkee, County Clare, she was educated at the Convent of Mercy Secondary School in Kilrush, and at University College Galway, graduating with a BA, H.Dip.Ed, and LLB. Working as a teacher, she became a founder member of Young Fine Gael in 1977, and Joint Honorary Secretary of Fine Gael from 1979–82, the first woman officer in the party.

She was elected to Dáil Éireann on her first attempt, at the 1981 general election, succeeding her father Frank Taylor, who had been a TD from 1969.. County Clare's first-ever female TD, she took her seat in the 22nd Dáil as Fine Gael leader Garret FitzGerald was elected Taoiseach, heading a Fine Gael-Labour coalition government.

The government fell in January 1982 when it was defeated in a vote on the budget, and at the February 1982 general election Taylor-Quinn lost her seat to Fine Gael's other candidate, Donal Carey. She was then elected to the 16th Seanad Éireann on the Cultural and Educational Panel.

She regained her Dáil seat later that year, at the November 1982 general election, and was re-elected at the 1987 and 1989 general elections. She lost her seat at the 1992 general election, when Labour's Moosajee Bhamjee was elected in Clare, becoming Ireland's first Muslim TD. She stood again at the 1997 and 2002 elections, but was defeated by her party colleague Pat Breen TD.