It's a sign of the changing times in Fianna Fail that Pat Farrell, the general secretary, who is leaving the party for a senior management position with the EBS Building Society, on December 1st, served under three leaders. ail's General Secretary who leaves the party for a senior management position with the EBS Building Society on November 1st, should be at least 70 years old - he survived three leaders.
As Charles Haughey, Albert Reynolds and Bertie Ahern either came or went, Mr Farrell (40) reigned on for six and a half tempestuous years at Fianna Fail headquarters in Mount Street, down the road from Leinster House.
His statement last week of his intention to leave the £65,000 per year post came as a surprise. Undoubtedly a man with personal political ambitions, he may, however, be better placed to realise his aspirations outside the organisation he has just served. He was a member of the Seanad between 1992 and 1993.
The EBS has gained in Mr Farrell a strong administrator and a well-got figure in Fianna Fail who should prove to be a most valuable lobbyist.
It is understood that his remuneration deal amounts to a salary of £80,000 plus bonuses and a company car.
He will become general manager with the the building society, taking over responsibility for its 110 branches and branch agents outside Dublin.
Married to Margaret Logan, he has a son, Cian, and a daughter, Ria, and they live in Sandymount.
Currently chairman of the Irish Council of the European Movement, his curriculum vitae, socially and professionally, is substantial. Educated in accounting and finance as well as public administration, he worked between 1975 and 1981 as a health care administrator with regional health boards.
He later became chief executive at Sligo General Hospital, where he spent five years, before taking up a similar position at the Galvia Private Hospital in Galway. A member of the executive of the Institute of European Affairs and the executive of the Irish Council of the European Movement, he is also an associate member of Dublin Chamber of Commerce.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, says his role in the June general election was "pivotal and most effective" in helping Fianna Fail secure 77 seats.
Mr Farrell must have clocked up legions of miles in the past six years, touring the 41 constituencies in the re-organisation of Fianna Fail. In fact, after the general election, he was provided with the use of a driver.
It is unlikely that his new quest with EBS will remove him indefinitely from the political stage.
Maol Muire Tynan
The increasing competition in the banking sector is likely to be on the mind of the newly appointed Bank of Ireland communications manager, Ms Miriam Hughes.
Ms Hughes, who is leaving NestleRowntree to take up her new post, will be responsible for marketing the bank's products.
Mr Brendan Spring, is joining FBD Life, as the company tries to capture customers outside its traditional agricultural base. Mr Spring is a former director and general manager of EBS.
He will now hold the position of operations manager with the former farmers' life assurance group.
Two appointments have been made to the board of Nitrigin Eireann Teoranta, by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney.
One of the new directors is Mr Gerry Murphy who in a major surprise last month announced his retirement from the First National Building Society. The other appointment to the board is Ms Helen McKenna, who comes from Bank of Ireland International Finance.
RTE has appointed journalist, Mr Noel Curran, as current affairs editor (television). A former Business and Finance reporter, who later worked on RTE's last business programme, Marketplace, Mr Curran's appointment may speed up the station's plans to launch a new business programme next year.
Dairygold Co-op has a new marketing manager, Ms Fiona Fleming, who previously worked with Donegal Foods and Philips Lighting.
Mr Carlo Crighton has been appointed general manager of Text 100 Group's continental Europe operations.
Text 100 is the largest PR consultancy for the technology sector in the Republic.
Mr Crighton, educated at Trinity College, was responsible for setting up Text 100 in the Republic in 1992 and his replacement is Ms Carmel Doyle, a former equity analyst with NCB Stockbrokers, who is leaving Keating Associates.
Fresh from the success of the Enterprise Ireland exhibition, Ms Lorraine Sweeney of the Small Firms Association has joined the board of Hibernian insurance as a non-executive director.
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