Mícheál Ó Muilleoir

Mícheál Ó Muilleoir
Ó Muilleoir in 1979
Taoiseach of Caldia
In office 20 June 1982 – 21 June 1982
Monarch	Ellen II
Preceded by	Dáibhí Mac Coinneach
Succeeded by	Patricia Flowers
Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition
In office 24 June 1972 – 20 June 1977
Leader of the Social Democrats
In office 24 September 1975 – 15 June 1982
Personal details
Born	Mícheál Dùbhghlas Ó Muilleoir 24 April 1921 Shanbally, Caldia
Died	6 August 2012 (aged 91)
Political party	Social Democratic Party
Spouse	Brónach Ní Cheanndubháin (m. 1946)

Mícheál Dùbhghlas Ó Muilleoir (24 April 1921 - 6 August 2012) was a Caldish politician who served as the Taoiseach of Caldia from 1977 to 1982. He was the leader of the Caldish Social Democratic Party from 1975 until 1982. His tenure as taoiseach is remembered for his foreign policy and a period economic decline.

Ó Muilleoir was a member of the Comhthionól Náisiúnta representing Shanbally from 1957 to 1987. He served as Minister of Labour from 1972 to 1975 and had close ties to the party's affiliated trade unions.

Early life

Ó Muilleoir was born in Shanbally to Dùbhghlas Ó Muilleoir, a factory work, and his wife Raghnaid. He grew up in the city's working class neighborhoods and became a shipbuilder after finishing his lower education. From a young age, he was involved in the trade union movement and became a member of the Social Democrats.

He married his wife, Brónach (née Ní Cheanndubháin) in 1946. Together, they had five children. The family lived in Shanbally, where Ó Muilleoir stood as a candidate for city council in the 1950 election. While on the city council, he served in the leadership of his local chapter of the Shipbuilder's Union

Political career

Ó Muilleoir entered national politics when he was elected to the Comhthionól Náisiúnta in 1957 for his native Shanbally. With the support of the unions, he became vice-chair of the party in 1970. He was appointed Minister of Labour in 1972 and held the post until 1975 when his party was defeated in the snap election. After a leadership competition with Donnchadh Ó Loingsigh, he was appointed as party leader in June 1975. He led his party in opposition and was critical of the failures of the Liberty Party to reform the struggling economy. Ó Muilleoir was strongly opposed to cuts to welfare and public services. arguing they did more to hurt the economy than help it.

In the 1977 election, the Social Democrats defeated the Liberty Party and Ó Muilleoir formed a government with the Socialist Party. His government did not cut spending and it came to spend over half of the country's gross domestic product. Anti-unemployment policies were left in place and anti-inflationary policies were not pursued, resulting in a period of sharp inflation. Wages also declined and the Caldish GDP per capita shrunk during this period. As stagflation and decline continued to impact the economy, the overall tax burden continued to rise. Economic growth was low and the economy entered recession, matching the international trend.

As economic crisis threatened his popularity, Ó Muilleoir turned his attention to foreign policy. Going against conventional policy positions, he moved Caldia closer to Swetania. Hoping to court Swetanian investment, his government began to take positions against other members of the Euclean Community, notably Werania. The failure of Swetania and Werania to reach a sense of reproach drew his ire. He was also skeptical of the Northern Forum, temporarily suspending Caldish participation in 1980. Caldia also became an observer of the socialist Association of Emerging Socialist Economies in 1980.

Shifts in foreign policy were largely unpopular, as many viewed Ó Muilleoir of abandoning Caldia's long-standing policy of neutrality. Rumors that he was an asset of the Swetanian intelligence agency began to circulate in political circles and later the tabloid press. Amid continued economic decline and opposition to his foreign policy resulted in a disastrous election defeat in 1982. Ó Muilleoir faced massive criticism from within his party and resigned as leader. He later retired from politics in 1987.

After politics

After standing down at the 1987 election, Ó Muilleoir returned to his native Shanbally where he lived with his wife. He served as vice-chair of the Caldish Trade Union Confederation from 1989 to 1992 and was appointed to the board of the state pension fun in 1992.

He died at the age of 91 on 6 August 2012 at his apartment in Shanbally. A funeral service was held on 13 August at Shanbally Cathedral that was attended by King Kenneth IV, then taoiseach Alexis Walker, and several former taoiseachs. His wife, Brónach, died in 2015 and was interred alongside him at Knocktopher Cemetery and Arboretum in Shanbally.