Mark Clinton

Mark Clinton (1915 to 2001) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who is listed here for his sporting life as a Gaelic footballer. Born to a farming family at Moynalty near Kells in County Meath, he was known as an accomplished footballer in his youth and played on the Meath county team that was defeated by Kerry in the 1939 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final. He later served on Dublin County Council from 1955 and as a Teachta Dala from 1961 until 1981. As Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries from 1973 to 1977 he is best remembered for negotiating Ireland's entry into the European Common Agricultural Policy, and from 1979 to 1989 he sat in the European Parliament for the Leinster constituency, where he was elected a vice president of the assembly. He died in a Dublin nursing home on 23 December 2001, aged 86.