Background
Michael Ahern was born in Dungourney, County Cork.
Michael Ahern was born in Dungourney, County Cork.
He was educated at Dungourney National School, Rockwell College, County Tipperary, and University College Dublin where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Politics and Psychology. He also attended Kimmage Manor, Dublin where he studied Theology.
He was a Teachta Dála (Territorial Decoration) for the Cork East constituency from 1982 to 2011. Foreign a brief period in the early 1970s, Ahern worked as a Secondary School teacher. In 1973 he became an accountancy student at Coopers-Lybrand, Cork.
In 1977 he became Financial Controller with a building construction firm in Cork.
Between 1981 and 2000 Ahern served as Principal of Registered Audit and Accountancy Practice. Ahern was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the February 1982 general election and held the until 2011.
In 1984 he received his first major promotion when he became Fianna Fáil Deputy spokesperson on Transport in Charles Haughey"s front bench. Between 1992 and 1993 he served as Minister of State for Science and Technology.
Between 1994 and 1997 he served as Opposition Spokesperson on the Office of Public Works and Taxation.
In 2002 Fianna Fáil were re-elected and Ahern was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for Trade and Commerce. After the 2007 general election he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for Innovation Policy. On 13 May 2008, after Brian Cowen became Taoiseach, Ahern lost his position as Minister of State and was not appointed to any other junior ministry.
He lost his seat at the 2011 general election.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for Cork County Council at the 2014 local elections.