Pól Ó Foighil [SEP] date of death
Pól Ó Foighil
Pól Ó Foighil (1 June 1928 – 21 March 2005) was an Irish politician and activist for Irish-speaking, coastal and island communities. A teacher turned co-operative manager, he was an active member of the Fine Gael party, and as a long-serving councillor he was the party's only elected representative in the Connemara Gaeltacht for two decades. He also served as a senator from 1989 to 1993.
Early life and family.
Ó Foighil was born in Thurles, County
1989 he was elected to the 19th Seanad Éireann on the Labour Panel, serving until 1993. He caused controversy in the Seanad by insisting on wearing the traditional Connemara 'báinín' jacket, and by changing his name to Pól 'Báinín' Ó Foighil. He also fought unsuccessfully to have legislation and official documents made available to him in the Irish language, which under the Constitution of Ireland is the first official language.
As a councillor, Ó Foighil successfully tabled a proposal to the draft Galway County Development Plan 2003–2009 that