Brian Cowen

**Brian Cowen** (born 10 January 1960) was the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland. He became the Taoiseach on 7 May 2008, after Bertie Ahern, resigned after losing a general election on 9 March 2011. He was the leader of a political party called Fianna Fáil. They were in a coalition government with the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats. Independent TDs (Irish members of parliament) also support his government.

During his time as Taoiseach and after leaving office, Cowen was called by multiple media outlets as the worst Taoiseach in the country's history.

## Taoiseach

Cowen was elected leader of Fianna Fáil in May 2008, after the resignation of Bertie Ahern. Weeks after taking office as Taoiseach, his administration faced the Irish financial and banking crises. He was criticized for his failure to fix the crisis, which led the Irish Government to ask for financial aid from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. This was seen in Ireland as a national humiliation.

His leadership subsequently saw public support for Fianna Fáil plunge to record lows, and Cowen set a record for the lowest approval rating in the history of Irish opinion polling, at one point reaching an approval rating of 8 percent. In January 2011, following a failed attempt at a cabinet reshuffle, and facing growing political pressure, Cowen resigned as Leader of Fianna Fáil, but remained as Taoiseach until after the general election.

On 14 September 2010, after having an interview on RTÉ's _Morning Ireland,_ Cowen was accused of doing the interview while drunk.

_The Sunday Times_ called Cowen's time as Taoiseach as "a failure". In 2011, the _Irish Independent_ called Cowen the "worst Taoiseach in the history of the State".

## Personal life

Brian Cowen was born to a Catholic family, in Tullamore, County Offaly, on 10 January 1960. He was raised in Clara by his parents, May and Bernard Cowen, a Fianna Fáil TD and Senator. He studied law at University College Dublin.

Cowen is married to Mary Molloy and they have two daughters.

### Health

On 5 July 2019, Cowen was hospitalized after suffering a major brain haemorrhage. He spent five months in a hospital before transferring to a physical rehabilitation facility. Cowen returned home in 2021, however was left paralyzed and needed the help of a wheelchair.

## Other websites

- Brian Cowen feature from the Offaly Express
- What Brian and Mary did next

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **image**: Brian Cowen, June 2010 (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Brian Cowen in June 2010
- **order**: 12th
- **office**: Taoiseach
- **president**: Mary McAleese
- **1blankname**: Tánaiste
- **1namedata**: Mary Coughlan (politician), Mary Coughlan
- **term start**: 7 May 2008
- **term end**: 9 March 2011
- **predecessor**: Bertie Ahern
- **successor**: Enda Kenny
- **office1**: Leader of Fianna Fáil
- **deputy1**: Mary Coughlan
- **term start1**: 7 May 2008
- **term end1**: 22 January 2011
- **predecessor1**: Bertie Ahern
- **successor1**: Micheál Martin
- **office2**: Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs
- **term start2**: 19 January 2011
- **term end2**: 9 March 2011
- **predecessor2**: Micheál Martin
- **successor2**: Eamon Gilmore
- **taoiseach3**: Bertie Ahern
- **term start3**: 27 January 2000
- **term end3**: 29 September 2004
- **predecessor3**: David Andrews (politician), David Andrews
- **successor3**: Dermot Ahern
- **office4**: Tánaiste
- **taoiseach4**: Bertie Ahern
- **term start4**: 14 June 2007
- **term end4**: 7 May 2008
- **predecessor4**: Michael McDowell (politician), Michael McDowell
- **successor4**: Mary Coughlan (politician), Mary Coughlan
- **office5**: Leader of Fianna Fáil, Deputy leader of Fianna Fáil
- **leader5**: Bertie Ahern
- **term start5**: 28 July 2002
- **term end5**: 7 May 2008
- **predecessor5**: Mary O'Rourke
- **successor5**: Mary Coughlan (politician), Mary Coughlan
- **office6**: Minister for Finance (Ireland), Minister for Finance
- **taoiseach6**: Bertie Ahern
- **term start6**: 29 September 2004
- **term end6**: 7 May 2008
- **predecessor6**: Charlie McCreevy
- **successor6**: Brian Lenihan Jnr, Brian Lenihan
- **office7**: Minister for Health (Ireland), Minister for Health and Children
- **taoiseach7**: Bertie Ahern
- **term start7**: 26 June 1997
- **term end7**: 27 January 2000
- **predecessor7**: Michael Noonan (Fine Gael politician), Michael Noonan
- **successor7**: Micheál Martin
- **office8**: Minister for Transport (Ireland), Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications
- **taoiseach8**: Albert Reynolds
- **term start8**: 22 January 1993
- **term end8**: 15 December 1994
- **predecessor8**: Charlie McCreevy
- **successor8**: Michael Lowry (politician), Michael Lowry
- **office9**: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Minister for Energy
- **taoiseach9**: Albert Reynolds
- **term start9**: 12 January 1993
- **term end9**: 22 January 1993
- **predecessor9**: Albert Reynolds
- **successor9**: Charlie McCreevy
- **office10**: Minister for Labour (Ireland), Minister for Labour
- **taoiseach10**: Albert Reynolds
- **term start10**: 11 February 1992
- **term end10**: 12 January 1993
- **predecessor10**: Michael O'Kennedy
- **successor10**: Mervyn Taylor
- **office11**: Teachta Dála
- **term start11**: 1984 Laois–Offaly by-election, June 1984
- **term end11**: 2011 Irish general election, February 2011
- **constituency11**: Laois–Offaly (Dáil constituency), Laois–Offaly
- **birth place**: Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland
- **nationality**: Irish people, Irish
- **party**: Fianna Fáil
- **children**: 2
- **father**: Bernard Cowen
- **relatives**: Barry Cowen (brother)
- **education**: Cistercian College, Roscrea
- **alma mater**: University College Dublin
- **signature**: Brian Cowen Signature.svg