Offaly launch planned for new Brian Cowen biography
A launch event in Tullamore is being planned for a major new biography charting the political career of former Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
The book, Brian Cowen - Anatomy of a Taoiseach, is written by Gary Murphy of Dublin City University, who previously wrote a bestselling biography of Charlie Haughey.
The new book will first be launched in Dublin on September 15, with RTÉ's David McCullagh lined up as a special guest. This will then be followed by an Offaly launch at the Tullamore Court Hotel on Friday, September 25, at 7pm.
Well-known Offaly historian Michael Byrne will attending as guest speaker at the Tullamore launch event.
Brian Cowen - Anatomy of a Taoiseach is a 400-page hardback which is being published by Eriu books.
In a social media post, Mr Murphy said the book had been "a few years in the making" and would cover topics ranging "from Clara to the Troika, from the GAA to the bank guarantee, and much else besides".
Born in Clara in 1960, Brian Cowen studied law at University College Dublin and qualified as a solicitor.
Following the death of his father, Bernard Cowen, TD, he contested the Laois-Offaly by-election in 1984 and was elected to Dáil Éireann at the age of just 24, becoming the youngest member of the 24th Dáil.
He went on to serve in some of the most demanding offices in Irish Government. He was appointed Minister for Labour in 1992 and subsequently served as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Minister for Health and Children, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Finance.
He became Tánaiste in 2007 while continuing as Minister for Finance.
In April 2008, Brian Cowen was elected leader of Fianna Fáil, and on May 7 was elected Taoiseach by Dáil Éireann. He served as the country's 12th Taoiseach until March 2011.
His time as Taoiseach coincided with one of the most difficult periods in the history of the State, as the global financial crisis, the collapse of the country's banking system, and a rapid deterioration in the public finances ultimately led to intervention by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Gary Murphy’s Brian Cowen: Anatomy of a Taoiseach will revisit that political journey and some of the most consequential events in modern Irish political history.
Offaly Fianna Fáil TD Tony McCormack said the choice of Tullamore for the launch on September 25 was "fitting given Brian Cowen’s lifelong connection with county Offaly and the extraordinary political career that began here more than four decades ago".