Vincent Brady
Vincent Brady (14 March 1936 – 6 October 2020) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served under Taoiseach Charles Haughey as Government Chief Whip (1987–1991) and Minister for Defence (1991–1992). Early life Brady was born in Dublin on 14 March 1936. His parents, Tom and Nellie Gilroy, were a young couple from County Cavan. As they were not married at the time, they placed Vincent in foster care. He was fostered by Margaret Bourke, a widow from County Kilkenny, and her two sisters. They lived on Tolka Road in Ballybough. Until 1998, Brady was unaware that he had nine younger siblings. He met his birth family at the age of 62. He was educated at St Canice's CBS and O'Connell School in Dublin, before studying accounting and business at the College of Commerce in Rathmines. Before embarking on a career in politics, he was a director of a company engaged in machinery distribution, which he had founded in 1970. Political career Brady was elected to Dáil Éireann at his first attempt, in the 1977 general election for the Dublin North-Central constituency. Two years later he became involved in local politics, when he was elected to Dublin City Council. When