Background
Hanafin was born in Thurles, County Tipperary in 1930, to John "Johnny" Hanafin (b 1890, d 1953), a draper and newsagent who served for many years as a Fianna Fáil councillor for North Tipperary County Council and prior to that had been a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and an elected Sinn Féin councillor before independence. He married, Mona Brady, daughter of Justice of the Peace Brady, on 28 August 1958 in Clonmel, Tipperary. Their first child, Mary Hanafin, was born in June 1959, followed by John Hanafin in September 1960.
Education
The wedding was followed by a reception at the Galtee Hotel, Cahir which was attended by various notables including Review Father Josip Juraj Hampson, President of Blackrock College.
Career
Hanafin"s first attempt to become elected to public office proved unsuccessful. In 1953, Hanafin sought to be co-opted to fill the vacancy on North Tippeary County Council created by the death of his father, John Hanafin. In the event councillors co-opted a Labour Party nominee, Michael Treacy, by eleven votes to seven.
He was subsequently elected Chairman of the County Council in 1956 with the support of Clann na Poblachta representatives.
In 1957, he conducted a three-month tour of the United States, during which he was commissioned a Kentucky colonel, by then Kentucky Governor Albert "Happy" Chandler. He was also awarded the freedom of Louisville, Kentucky and received by Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago.
Hanafin was re-elected to North Tipperary County Council in 1960, polling 797 first preference votes. In 1961, he voted against the Fianna Fail nominee for Chair of the County Council, Thomas F. Meagher and in favour of the Clann na Poblachta nominee, Michael F. Cronin, who was elected by 10 votes to 9.
In 1964, he controversially voted in favour of Jeremiah Mockler, "a former school mate", who was elected by 10 votes to 9 to the office of Rate Collector for Borrisokane.
He held the seat until 1985. He was first elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and retained his seat until the 1993 Seanad election at which he lost his seat by one vote. He unsuccessfully contested the 1977 and 1981 Dáil elections for the Tipperary North constituency.
An opponent of social change in Ireland, Hanafin was one of the promoters of the constitutional amendment that enshrined the legal ban on abortion in the Constitution of Ireland.
He also opposed the legalisation of divorce, which was introduced in 1995. Since retiring from the Seanad in 2002, Hanafin as occasionally made interventions concerning social issues.
In May 2015, he accused equality campaigners in the Marriage referendum of spreading a "palpable climate of fear".
Politics
He regained his seat at the 1997 Elections and retired from politics in 2002. He was a chief fundraiser of the Fianna Fáil party for many years.
Membership
He was a member of Seanad Éireann for over 30 years. He was elected a member of North Tipperary County Council in 1955, polling 934 first preference votes.
