In December 1972, a cabinet reshuffle by Taoiseach Jack Lynch saw O'Kennedy join the cabinet as minister without portfolio. O'Kennedy became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education. He remained on the backbenches until 1970, when the Arms Crisis resulted in a major reshuffle at cabinet and junior ministerial levels.
O'Kennedy contested the 1969 general election and was successful in securing a seat in Dáil Éireann. He later secured election to Seanad Éireann where he became party spokesperson on a range of issues including finance and education. He contested the 1965 general election in Tipperary North, however, he narrowly failed to win a seat. O'Kennedy joined Fianna Fáil in 1957, and became an active member of the party. Twelve years later he was appointed Senior Counsel. He taught in Switzerland for a while, before resuming his legal studies he was subsequently called to the Bar in 1961. After securing first place in a university scholarship in 1953, O'Kennedy obtained an MA degree from University College Dublin. He briefly studied for the priesthood at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he was a contemporary of future Social Democratic and Labour Party leader John Hume. Mary's national school before later attending St Flannan's College in Ennis, County Clare. O'Kennedy was born in Nenagh, County Tipperary, into a family that had strong links to Sinn Féin and the Old IRA.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education
Minister for Economic Planning and Development Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodĮuropean Commissioner for Personnel, Administration and the Statistics Office
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