Patrick Cosgrave

Patrick Cosgrave
Born	Template:Birth date Dublin, Ireland
Died	September 16, 2001(2001-09-16) (aged 59)
Occupation(s)	Journalist, author, political advisor
Years active	1960s–2001
Known for	Advocacy of the Conservative Party, advisor to Margaret Thatcher

Patrick John Francis Cosgrave (28 September 1941 – 16 September 2001) was a British-Irish journalist and author recognized for his unwavering advocacy of the Conservative Party and his advisory capacity to Margaret Thatcher during her period as Leader of the Opposition.

Early life and education

Cosgrave was the sole offspring of a builder who passed away from cancer when Patrick was ten years old, leaving his mother in financial hardship; she took up work as a cleaner at the Chapel Royal within Dublin Castle. He distanced himself from the Roman Catholic devoutness ingrained during his time at St. Vincent's C.B.S. in Glasnevin. At fourteen, while convalescing from rheumatic fever, he developed a keen interest in British history, immersing himself in works by authors such as Rudyard Kipling, Winston Churchill, and Lawrence of Arabia.

During his studies at University College Dublin (UCD), under the influence of historian Desmond Williams, Cosgrave adopted the term "West Brit" and aligned himself firmly with conservative British cultural values. He asserted that his grandfather had confronted Republican insurgent Kevin Barry. Alongside Anthony Clare, he secured victories in both the Irish Times and Observer Mace debating contests and was elected auditor of UCD's Literary and Historical Society despite controversy surrounding his pro-British views.

At Peterhouse, Cambridge, he began using the name "Patrick" and completed a doctorate in history supervised by Herbert Butterfield, whom he considered a significant mentor. Cosgrave was counted among Peterhouse alumni labeled as embodying "reactionary chic" by the New Statesman.

Career

Following freelance work for Raidió Teilifís Éireann during his time at UCD, Cosgrave became their correspondent in London in 1968. In 1969, he joined the Conservative Research Department, where he embraced Zionism. By 1971, he was appointed political editor of The Spectator, where his critical writings on Edward Heath's leadership contributed to the Conservative Party’s transition toward Margaret Thatcher, earning him the moniker "The Mekon".

Thatcher initially regarded him as a "typical upper-class public school twit," a characterization that amused him. By 1975, he served as her advisor while she was Leader of the Opposition, positioning him for prospective parliamentary and ministerial roles. Nevertheless, following the 1979 election, Thatcher severed ties with him, partly due to concerns over his heavy drinking undermining dependability. According to Private Eye, his dismissal followed an incident in which he vomited on Thatcher in a taxi, although this account remains contested.

He briefly held the role of editor-in-chief for publications owned by Tiny Rowland's Lonrho after gaining Rowland’s attention by defending Lonrho against Heath’s criticism in 1973. Subsequently, he maintained an unstable freelance journalism career and authored primarily political biographies. His contributions appeared in outlets such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Irish Times, The Irish Press, Literary Review, Encounter, the New Law Journal, and Le Point.

Books

Cosgrave's inaugural publication offered a critical examination of poet Robert Lowell. While Martin Seymour-Smith expressed disapproval, Lowell himself supported Cosgrave’s analysis and dedicated a subsequent edition to him.

His 1978 biography of Margaret Thatcher attracted accusations of excessive admiration; George Gale characterized it as nearly hagiographic. Among his works, Cosgrave regarded his biography of the esteemed politician Enoch Powell, which was produced with Powell’s collaboration, as his most significant achievement. He managed to complete only the first volume of an intended two-part series on Winston Churchill’s role during World War II.

In addition, Cosgrave wrote three detective novels centered around the character Colonel Allen Cheyney.

Personal life

He acquired a British passport and occasionally participated in Church of England worship services, although he identified as agnostic. Despite being known publicly for his forceful debating style, those close to him remembered him as considerate and polite in private settings.

Cosgrave was married three times and divorced twice. His first marriage, in 1965, was to Ruth Dudley Edwards, a fellow University College Dublin and later Cambridge student. In 1974, he wed Norma Green, with whom he had a daughter named Rebecca. His final marriage took place in 1981 to Shirley Ward—his widow—who served as secretary for the European Democrats at the European Parliament.

From the late 1970s onward, Cosgrave encountered financial hardships. After Green left him in 1980, their daughter Rebecca became a ward of court. In 1981, the Inland Revenue issued a tax claim exceeding £10,000, resulting in his bankruptcy. The outstanding debt of £18,700 was cleared in 1985.

He passed away due to heart failure, with his declining health aggravated by prolonged heavy alcohol consumption and smoking.

Books

• The Public Poetry of Robert Lowell (1970), Gollancz, London
• Churchill at War. Vol. 1, Alone, 1939-40 (1974), Collins, London
• Cheyney's Law (1977), Macmillan, London (novel)
• Margaret Thatcher: a Tory and her party (1978), Hutchinson, London
• The Three Colonels (1979), Macmillan, London (novel)
• R.A. Butler: an English life (1981), Quartet Books, London
• Adventure of State (1984), Ross Anderson Publications, Bolton (novel)
• Thatcher: The First Term (1985), Bodley Head, London
• Carrington: a life and a policy (1985), Dent, London
• The Lives of Enoch Powell (1989), Bodley Head, London
• The Strange Death of Socialist Britain: post-war British politics (1992), Constable, London

Papers

• Impressions of Israel (1975), Anglo-Israel Association, London, vol. 53
• Israel Revisited: address to the Anglo-Israel Association (1978), Anglo-Israel Association, London, vol. 78/2
• The defence of Britain (1978), Salisbury Group, London, Salisbury papers, issue 2
• The origins, evolution and future of Israeli foreign policy (1979), Oxford Centre for Postgraduate Hebrew Studies, Oxford, Sacks lectures, vol. 6
• George Richey, NATO's strategy: a case of outdated priorities? (1985), Alliance Publishers for the Institute for European Defence and Strategic Studies, London, Occasional paper

See also

• Auditors of the Literary and Historical Society (University College Dublin)