Dick Roche
An Irish political operator who became a central figure in shaping Ireland's modern relationship with the European Union.
Born 1947 (age 79)·Irish former politician·Birthday: March 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dick Roche’s long political career was built on a foundation of local service in Wicklow, but his most significant impact was felt on the European stage. After losing his Dáil seat in 1992, he spent five years in the Seanad, a period that honed his legislative skills. Returning to the Dáil in 1997, he became a trusted figure within Fianna Fáil, known for his detailed grasp of policy. His two stints as Minister of State for European Affairs, bookending a term as Environment Minister, placed him at the heart of Ireland's EU engagements during critical years, including the expansion of the Union and the fraught negotiations around the Lisbon Treaty. Roche was a staunch advocate for European integration, often tasked with the complex job of selling Brussels' decisions to a sometimes skeptical Irish public, making him a defining architect of Ireland's 21st-century European identity.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dick was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Dick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Ireland's Minister of State for European Affairs during the crucial Lisbon Treaty referendum campaigns.
- Held the cabinet position of Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2004 to 2007.
- Represented the Wicklow constituency as a TD for a total of 19 years across two separate periods.
Did You Know?
Before entering politics full-time, he worked as a company director and a psychologist.
He served as a Senator on the Administrative Panel, often dealing with civil service and public sector reforms.
Roche was first elected to Bray Urban District Council in 1985.
“The European project is the greatest peace process in our continent's history.”
