Pearse Wyse

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Pearse Wyse (2 March 1923 – 28 April 2009) was an Irish politician from Cork who spent decades in public life. He started with Fianna Fáil, was elected to Cork City Council in 1960, and to Dáil Éireann in 1965 for Cork Borough. He later served as TD for Cork South-East (1969–1977), Cork City (1977–1981), and Cork South-Central (1981–1992). Wyse held ministerial roles as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance in 1977 and as Minister of State at the Department of Finance in 1978. He was Lord Mayor of Cork in 1967 and 1974.

Wyse supported George Colley in the 1979 Fianna Fáil leadership contest; after Charles Haughey won, he fell from favour, joined the Gang of 22, and eventually left Fianna Fáil for Desmond O’Malley’s Progressive Democrats in 1986. He was re-elected as a PD TD in 1987 and 1989, retiring from national politics in 1992, with Pat Cox succeeding him. He remained on Cork City Council until 1999.

Off the political stage, Wyse trained as a bookbinder and paper cutter, worked at Eagle Printing Works, and was active in the Irish Bookbinders’ and Allied Trades Union. He was married to Theresa Lucey in 1976 and had one child. Wyse died in Cork in 2009.