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Patrick Cosgrave

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Patrick John Francis Cosgrave[1] (28 September 1941 – 16 September 2001[1]) was an Anglophile Irish journalist and writer, and a staunch supporter of the British Conservative Party.

Early life and education

Patrick Cosgrave was the only child of an improvident builder,[2] who died from cancer when Patrick was ten, leaving his mother impoverished.[3] She took work as a cleaner in the Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle.[4] Cosgrave rebelled against the severe Roman Catholic piety of his mother and his teachers at St. Vincent's C.B.S. in Glasnevin.[2][3] He acquired a love of British history aged 14, while reading as a convalescent from rheumatic fever.[2] He read works by Rudyard Kipling, Winston Churchill, and Lawrence of Arabia.[4]

At University College Dublin (UCD), he was influenced by Desmond Williams, professor of history.[4] He embraced the epithet "West Brit";[5] at a debate, when an opponent accused him of being "to the Right of Douglas-Home", he retorted that he was "to the Right of Lord Salisbury".[6] He claimed that his grandfather, a warden in Mountjoy Prison, had beaten up Kevin Barry, a Republican rebel executed in 1920.[3] He partnered Anthony Clare to win the Irish Times debate and the Observer Mace debate,[2] and was elected auditor of the Literary and Historical Society in spite of his unpopular pro-British views.[3]

At Cambridge University he switched from "Paddy" to "Patrick",[4] and earned a doctorate in history from Peterhouse.[2] His supervisor was Herbert Butterfield, whom he later described as "the greatest influence on my life I can define".[6] He was among the Peterhouse alumni nicknamed "the reactionary chic" by The New Statesman.[6]

Career

Having freelanced for Radio Telefís Éireann while at UCD, he was appointed their London correspondent in 1968,[1] before working at the Conservative Research Department from 1969, where he became a Zionist.[3] He became political editor of The Spectator in 1971,[2] where his numerous, often scathing, articles about Ted Heath's leadership were influential in effecting the change to Margaret Thatcher,[1][5] and earned him the nickname "The Mekon".[1]

When Thatcher first saw him speaking on television, she reportedly dismissed him as a "typical upper-class public school twit", to his subsequent delight.[6] In 1975, he became her advisor while she was Leader of the Opposition.[2][6] He seemed on the path to a safe seat in Parliament and ultimately a cabinet post.[6] However, Thatcher dropped him after winning power in the 1979 general election,[2] by which time his heavy drinking was impairing his reliability.[1][3] Private Eye suggested Thatcher dropped him because had vomited on her in a taxi,[1] though the story is disputed.[3]

Subsequently he was briefly editor-in-chief of Tiny Rowland's Lonrho publications.[2] He had first attracted Rowland's attention in 1973 after criticising in The Spectator Ted Heath's calling Lonrho "the unacceptable face of capitalism".[7][8] After this, earning a precarious living as a freelance journalist and by writing books, mainly political biographies.[3] Among other publications, he wrote for The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Irish Times, The Irish Press, the Literary Review, Encounter, the New Law Journal, and Le Point.[5]

Books

Cosgrave's first book was a review of the poetry of Robert Lowell.[9] Martin Seymour-Smith derided the book, but Lowell agreed with Cosgrave's criticism of "Mr Edwards and the Spider", and dedicated a rewritten version to him.[9]

His 1978 biography of Margaret Thatcher was faulted for hero-worship;[3] George Gale called it "not much above a hagiography".[1] His biography of Enoch Powell, whom he also admired, was made with access to Powell and his correspondence,[1] and was the work of which he was most proud.[2] He completed only the first volume of a planned two-volume study of Winston Churchill during World War II.[10]

He published three mystery novels featuring the daring Colonel Allen Cheyney.[11]

Personal life

He obtained a British passport[2] and sometimes attended services of the Church of England, while remaining agnostic.[2][5] In contrast to his public image as a vigorous polemicist, he was considered kind and courteous in private.[1][3][5]

He married three times and divorced twice.[1][3] His first marriage in 1965 was to Ruth Dudley Edwards, a fellow student at UCD and, later, Cambridge.[6][12] He married Norma Green, mother of his daughter Rebecca, in 1974; and Shirley Ward, his widow, in 1981;[1][3] she was secretary of the European Democrats at the European Parliament.[4]

He had financial problems from the late 1970s and when Green left him in 1980, Rebecca was made a ward of court.[13] In 1981 the Inland Revenue filed a tax demand for over £10,000 and he was declared bankrupt.[13] His debt of £18,700 was discharged in 1985.[13]

He died of heart failure.[4] His poor health was exacerbated by heavy drinking and smoking.[2][3]

Works

Books

  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1970). The public poetry of Robert Lowell. London: Gollancz. ISBN 0575005394.
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1974). Churchill at war. Vol.1, Alone, 1939-40. London: Collins. ISBN 0002111845.
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1977). Cheyney's law. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0333216350. (novel)
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1978). Margaret Thatcher : a Tory and her party. London: Hutchinson. ISBN 0091313805.
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1979). The three colonels. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0333259416. (novel)
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1981). R.A. Butler : an English life. London: Quartet Books. ISBN 0704322587.
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1984). Adventure of state. Bolton: Ross Anderson Publications. ISBN 0863600166. (novel)
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1985). Thatcher : the first term. London: Bodley Head. ISBN 0370306023.
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1985). Carrington : a life and a policy. London: Dent. ISBN 0460046918.
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1989). The lives of Enoch Powell. London: Bodley Head. ISBN 0370308719.
  • Cosgrave, Patrick (1992). The strange death of socialist Britain : post war British politics. London: Constable. ISBN 0094714304.

Papers

Articles

Other

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Obituary: Patrick Cosgrave". The Daily Telegraph. 22 November 2001. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Obituary: First rate brain that loved to provoke". The Irish Times. 22 September 2001. p. 16. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Dudley-Edwards, Ruth (18 September 2001). "Obituary: Patrick Cosgrave". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Fanning, Ronan (23 September 2001). "Northsider who was, briefly, Tory insider". Sunday Independent. p. 74. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e Pearce, Edward (17 September 2001). "Patrick Cosgrave: English-loving Irish journalist who blasted Edward Heath". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Crowley, Jeananne (28 January 1978). "Patrick Cosgrave: Immigrant Chic". The Irish Times. p. 9. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  7. ^ Morrissey, James (15 June 1980). "Patrick Cosgrave: from Finglas to British newspaper chief". Sunday Independent. p. 11. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  8. ^ Cosgrave, Patrick (7 August 1998). "Obituary: Tiny Rowland". The Independent. p. 7. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ a b Cosgrave, Patrick (24 September 1977). "Robert Lowell". The Spectator (239): 26.
    reprinted in Lowell, Robert (1988). Jeffrey Meyers (ed.). Robert Lowell, interviews and memoirs. University of Michigan Press. pp. 222–4. ISBN 0472100890.
  10. ^ Rasor, Eugene L. (2000). Winston S. Churchill, 1874-1965: a comprehensive historiography and annotated bibliography. Greenwood. p. 388. ISBN 0313305463.
  11. ^ Gorman, Edward (2002). The world's finest mystery and crime stories (third annual ed.). Forge. p. 37. ISBN 0765302357. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Dudley Edwards, Ruth (4 November 2007). "It is the mischief and laughter that I'll miss most about Tony". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  13. ^ a b c "Bankrupt granted discharge by court". The Irish Times. 13 March 1985. p. 8. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
  14. ^ "Peter Walsh and the Irish Remonstrance, 1660-1665". WorldCat. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  15. ^ "Sir Edward Grey and British foreign policy in the Balkans, 1914-16 a study in war diplomacy". WorldCat. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  16. ^ 15 August 2007
  17. ^ 25 May 2007
  18. ^ 26 September 2001
  19. ^ 22 September 2000, p.6
  20. ^ 11 September 2000, p.6
  21. ^ 7 January 2000, p.6
  22. ^ 2 July 1999, p.6
  23. ^ 18 February 1999, p.6
  24. ^ 19 December 1998, p.10
  25. ^ 24 November 1998, p.6
  26. ^ 4 November 1998, p.7
  27. ^ 27 October 1998, p.6
  28. ^ 24 September 1998, p.6
  29. ^ 28 August 1998, p.6
  30. ^ 13 August 1998, p.6
  31. ^ 7 August 1998
  32. ^ 15 July 1998, p.6
  33. ^ 20 May 1998, p.19
  34. ^ 15 April 1998, p.17
  35. ^ 13 April 1998, p.15
  36. ^ 7 April 1998, p.18
  37. ^ 6 April 1998, p.13
  38. ^ February 21, 1998, p.22
  39. ^ February 9, 1998, p.16
  40. ^ February 6, 1998, p.17
  41. ^ November 5, 1997, p.19
  42. ^ October 23, 1997, p.21
  43. ^ August 14, 1997, p.12
  44. ^ August 2, 1997
  45. ^ May 9, 1997, p.18
  46. ^ April 28, 1997, p.20
  47. ^ April 18, 1997, p.20
  48. ^ April 5, 1997, p.18
  49. ^ March 6, 1997, p.14
  50. ^ March 4, 1997, p.10
  51. ^ January 30, 1997, p.14
  52. ^ January 4, 1997, p.14
  53. ^ November 19, 1996, p.18
  54. ^ October 19, 1996, p.20
  55. ^ October 16, 1996, p.18
  56. ^ October 10, 1996, p.18
  57. ^ October 8, 1996, p.14
  58. ^ September 5, 1996, p.18
  59. ^ July 4, 1996, p.18
  60. ^ May 30, 1996, p.16
  61. ^ December 21, 1995, p.12
  62. ^ October 10, 1995
  63. ^ July 15, 1995, p.18
  64. ^ May 18, 1995, p.18
  65. ^ April 7, 1995, p.16
  66. ^ April 3, 1995, p.29
  67. ^ February 20, 1995, p.12 (with John Calder)
  68. ^ January 31, 1995, p.12
  69. ^ December 12, 1994, p.12
  70. ^ November 7, 1994, p.14
  71. ^ October 13, 1994, p.16
  72. ^ July 11, 1994, p.16
  73. ^ May 25, 1994, p.14
  74. ^ April 27, 1994, p.30
  75. ^ April 19, 1994, p.14
  76. ^ April 8, 1994, p.14
  77. ^ January 21, 1994, p.14
  78. ^ November 11, 1993, p.20
  79. ^ November 5, 1993, p.16
  80. ^ August 24, 1993, p.18
  81. ^ July 26, 1993, p.18
  82. ^ May 15, 1993, p.15
  83. ^ May 14, 1993, p.22
  84. ^ April 9, 1993, p.24
  85. ^ March 30, 1993, p.22
  86. ^ March 6, 1993, p.48
  87. ^ February 22, 1993
  88. ^ January 29, 1993, p.27
  89. ^ December 8, 1992, p.11
  90. ^ December 1, 1992, p.13
  91. ^ July 18, 1992, p.44
  92. ^ June 20, 1992, p.48
  93. ^ June 9, 1992, p.27
  94. ^ May 11, 1992, p.12
  95. ^ January 31, 1992, p.14
  96. ^ January 24, 1992, p.26
  97. ^ January 20, 1992, p.17
  98. ^ January 15, 1992, p.25
  99. ^ January 2, 1992, p.11
  100. ^ November 2, 1991, p.50
  101. ^ October 17, 1991, p.35
  102. ^ September 23, 1991, p.14
  103. ^ July 22, 1991, p.21
  104. ^ April 8, 1991, p.12
  105. ^ April 1, 1991, p.17
  106. ^ March 22, 1991, p.27
  107. ^ March 15, 1991, p.28
  108. ^ November 5, 1990, p.20
  109. ^ September 10, 1990, p.24
  110. ^ August 31, 1990, p.17
  111. ^ July 31, 1990, p.12
  112. ^ July 25, 1990, p.14
  113. ^ February 17, 1990, p.18
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