Bertie Ahern

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern "was born into a working-class family in Dublin in 1951. He attended St. Aidan's CBS secondary school, the Rathmines College of Commerce and University College-Dublin.

"Ahern was elected to the Dáil (Parliament) in 1977 for the constituency of Dublin-Finglas and has represented Dublin Central since 1981. He served as a member of Dublin City Council 1978-88 and was Lord Mayor from 1986-1987. Returning to national government, he served as Minister for Labour, 1987-91, Minister for Finance, November 1991-94. Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, November-December 1994 and Minister for Industry and Commerce, January 1993. He also served as Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) from November-December 1994.

"Ahern became head of Fianna Fáil (political party) in 1994 and was leader of the opposition until 1997, when he succeeded John Bruton as prime minister. Heading a Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrat coalition. Ahern helped to negotiate a cease-fire by the Irish Republican Army, and in 1998 he helped broker the Good Friday Peace Agreement in Northern Ireland. He was re-elected Taoiseach on 6 June 2002, following a general election which saw his party Fianna Fáil returned to power in coalition with the Progressive Democrats."


 * Winner of the 2003 Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Justice and Human Rights