Lynch, Jack (1917-1999), was prime minister of the Republic of Ireland from 1966 to 1973 and again from 1977 to 1979. He also served as leader of the Fianna Fail Party from 1966 to 1979.
John Mary Lynch, who became known as Jack, was born on Aug. 15, 1917, in Cork. He studied at Christian Brothers’ schools and at University College, Cork. While working as a civil servant, he studied law at King’s Inns, Ireland’s national law school. Lynch began practicing law in 1945 and won election to Dail Eireann (the lower house of Ireland’s Parliament) for Cork in 1948. He held various posts under Prime Ministers Eamon de Valera and Sean Lemass, including minister of industry and commerce from 1959 to 1965 and minister of finance from 1965 to 1966. Lynch died on Oct. 20, 1999.
