Hillery, Patrick (1923-2008), was president of the Republic of Ireland from 1976 to 1990. He led the delegation that negotiated the entry of the Republic of Ireland into the European Community. In 1973, Hillery was appointed to the European Community Commission. He became the commission’s vice president and had a special responsibility for social affairs.
Hillery was born on May 2, 1923, in County Clare, Ireland. He was educated at University College in Dublin and became a doctor of medicine. In 1951, Hillery was elected to the Dáil Éireann, the more powerful of the two houses of Ireland’s Parliament. He became minister for education in a Fianna Fáil government in 1959. Hillery became minister for industry and commerce in 1965. He was minister for labor from 1966 to 1969 and minister for foreign affairs from 1969 to 1973. Hillery died on April 12, 2008.
