Former minister for foreign affairs David Andrews, who has died at the age of 91, left “an enormous footprint” on Irish life, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.
The Fianna Fáil politician represented Dún Laoghaire in the Dáil from his election in 1965 until he stepped down at the 2002 general election.
He twice served as minister for foreign affairs, from 1992-1993 and 1997-2000, playing an important role during the negotiations that led to the Belfast Agreement of 1998.
He was a junior minister in the department during Ireland’s first presidency of the Council of the European Union in 1977. He also held cabinet positions in the Departments of Defence and the Marine and served as government chief whip.
David Andrews shakes hands with then taoiseach Bertie Ahern after his appointment as minister for foreign affairs in 1997. Photograph: Collins
Martin said he was “very sorry to learn of the death” of his friend and party colleague.
“David was one of a generation of Irish public representatives who were big personalities with a big vision for the development of their country and who left an enormous footprint,” he said in a statement.
“I was lucky to have served in government with David, and saw first-hand his intelligence, his work rate and commitment to peace, along with his decisiveness, his wit and good humour.
“Outside of politics, David was a barrister of repute and campaigned for a number of human rights cases, including the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four. He was warm, engaging and great company. I greatly appreciated his wisdom and advice during our conversations.”
President Catherine Connolly said Andrews would be “remembered as a politician of great integrity who committed a significant part of his life to the cause of human rights”.
“As Minister for Foreign Affairs during the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement, David played an important role in bringing an end to the decades of violence on this island,” she said in a statement.
“Throughout his time in the Oireachtas, he drew attention to the urgency of assisting those suffering in places such as Rwanda, Somalia and Palestine, while he also showed important support for those such as the Birmingham Six and the Guilford Four.”
During his ministerial career, Andrews led campaigns for ratification of the Maastricht and Amsterdam treaties and obtained a seat for Ireland on the UN Security Council.
After his political career, he served as chairman of the Irish Red Cross, during which time he highlighted humanitarian crises in Somalia, Darfur and East Timor.
He was in 2006 awarded the medal of the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, France’s most prestigious national order.
Andrews came from a well-known political family – his father, Todd Andrews, was a prominent republican during the War of Independence and the Civil War, as well as a big figure in the Free State, serving as chairman or managing director of the Irish Tourist Association, the ESB, Bord na Móna, CIE and as chairman of the RTÉ Authority.
His mother, Mary Coyle, was an active member of Cumann na mBan, and spent time in Kilmainham Jail.
He is survived by his wife Annette and their five children, including his sons, Fianna Fáil Dublin MEP Barry Andrews and comedian Dave McSavage, and daughters Mary, Sinéad and Claire. He was an uncle of former RTÉ presenter Ryan Tubridy and Sinn Féin Senator Chris Andrews.
Former president of Ireland Michael D Higgins extended his sympathies to the family of said David Andrews, who he said “made a huge contribution to Irish politics”.
Higgins said working with him in cabinet in the 1990s was “a really positive experience”.
“His cooperative spirit was indicated for example by his facilitation of the purchase of Collins Barracks as a major public institution and his facilitating the involvement of the Irish Reserve Forces in the making of the film Braveheart,” he said in a statement.
“The contribution of the Andrews family to the cause of human rights is immense and his passing is a significant loss.”
Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said Andrews “gave decades of service to public life in Ireland” and “played a central role in a pivotal time for this country”, including during the negotiations that led to the Belfast Agreement in 1998.
David Andrews, with then Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam, during his time as minister for foreign affairs. Photograph: Collins
“This was an achievement that continues to shape peace and stability on this island for which we are all very grateful,” Harris said in a statement.
Fianna Fáil MEPs Billy Kelleher, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Barry Cowen offered their sympathies to Barry Andrews, their colleague in the European Parliament, and his family.
“David was a towering giant of Irish politics. His commitment to Ireland, Fianna Fáil, his constituency of Dún Laoghaire, and the values that underpinned his politics were well-known and respected across the political aisle,” Kelleher said in a statement.