Tributes paid to Mervyn Taylor, an ‘icon in the struggle for equality’

The former Labour minister who steered the divorce referendum to a narrow victory in 1995 has died

Mervyn Taylor was a key figure in implementing Labour’s campaign promise to hold a referendum on removing the constitutional ban on divorce. Picture: Rollingnews.ie

Tributes have been paid to Mervyn Taylor, the former Labour minister who played a key role in the passage of the 1995 divorce referendum, who has died, aged 89.

He was first elected to the Dáil in 1981 as Labour TD in the Dublin South West constituency and went on to be re-elected five times there.

When Labour went into coalition with Fianna Fáil in 1992, he was appointed as Minister for Labour.

In the ...