Editing Charles Haughey (section)

==Early political career==
He started his political career as a local councillor, being a member of [[Dublin Corporation]] from 1953 to 1955.<ref>Kenny, S. and Keane, F., "Irish Politics Now: 'This Week' Guide to the 25th Dáil", Brandon/RTÉ (Dingle, 1987), p. 132</ref> Haughey's first attempt at election to Dáil Éireann came in June 1951, when he unsuccessfully contested [[1951 Irish general election|the general election]].<ref>[[The Irish Times]], 14 June 2006.</ref> While living in Raheny, Haughey was first elected to the Dáil as a Fianna Fáil TD at the [[1957 Irish general election|1957 general election]] for the [[Dublin North-East (Dáil constituency)|Dublin North-East]] constituency;<ref name=elecs_irl>{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2403|title=Charles Haughey|publisher=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=1 June 2009|archive-date=10 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610213745/http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2403|url-status=live}}</ref> it was his fourth attempt.

Haughey was re-elected in every election until 1992, representing [[Dublin North-East (Dáil constituency)|Dublin North-East]] from 1957 to 1977, [[Dublin Artane (Dáil constituency)|Dublin Artane]] from 1977 to 1981, and [[Dublin North-Central (Dáil constituency)|Dublin North-Central]] from 1981 until his retirement in 1992 (moving constituencies in line with boundary changes).

In 1959, Haughey obtained his first government position, that of [[Minister of State at the Department of Justice|Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Justice]], serving under his constituency colleague [[Oscar Traynor]], appointed by the [[9th government of Ireland|first government]] of his father-in-law [[Seán Lemass]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1959-06-30/26/|title=Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries: Announcement by Taoiseach|date=30 June 1959|access-date=31 May 2022|work=Dáil Debates. Vol. 176 No. 2|archive-date=16 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916011144/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1959-06-30/26/|url-status=live}}</ref> It is unclear whether the choice was made by Lemass directly as [[Taoiseach]], or by the cabinet against his wishes. Lemass had advised Haughey;
<blockquote>As Taoiseach it is my duty to offer you the post of parliamentary secretary, and as your father-in-law I am advising you not to take it.{{sfn|Dwyer|1994|p=31}}</blockquote>
Haughey ignored Lemass's advice and accepted the offer. Although officially junior to Traynor, Haughey was the {{lang|la|de facto}} minister, as Traynor, a minister in all Fianna Fáil governments since 1936, was elderly and in poor health, and only nominally running the department.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Haughey came to epitomise the new style of politician – the "men in the mohair suits". He regularly socialised with other younger cabinet colleagues, such as [[Donogh O'Malley]] and [[Brian Lenihan Snr|Brian Lenihan]].<ref name=it-3/>
{{blockquote|By day he impressed the Dáil. By night he basked in the admiration of a fashionable audience in the Russell Hotel. There, or in Dublin's more expensive restaurants, the company included artists, musicians and entertainers, professionals, builders and business people. His companions, Lenihan and O'Malley, took mischievous delight in entertaining the Russell with tales of the Old Guard. O'Malley in turn entertained the company in Limerick's Brazen Head or Cruise's Hotel with accounts of the crowd in the Russell. On the wings of such tales, Haughey's reputation spread.}}

Haughey's status by 1961 was such that [[James Dillon (Fine Gael politician)|James Dillon]], the [[Leader of the Opposition (Ireland)|leader of the opposition]], complimented him on the floor of the Dáil, remarking on his opponent's "skill with which he has had recourse to his brief," as well as his "extraordinary erudition" and "his exceptional and outstanding ability."{{sfn|Dwyer|2003|p=33}}