Loss of Seat and Death
Though regarded in politics as one of Fine Gael's "survivors", who held onto his seat amid major boundary changes, constituency changes and by attracting working class votes in a party whose appeal was primarily middle class, Mitchell lost his Dublin Central seat at the 2002 general election. That election witnessed a large scale collapse in the Fine Gael vote, with the party dropping from 54 to 31 seats in Dáil Éireann. Although Mitchell suffered from the swing against Fine Gael in Dublin, he was not aided by the fact that Inchicore, which was considered his base in the constituency had been moved to Dublin South–Central. Jim had chosen not to run in that constituency as his brother Gay was a sitting TD running for re-election for that constituency.
Mitchell had earlier had a liver transplant in an attempt to beat a rare form of cancer which had cost the lives of a number of his siblings. Though the operation was successful, the cancer returned. Though he appeared to be making a recovery, Mitchell ultimately died of the disease in December 2002.
His former constituency colleague and rival, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, described Jim Mitchell as having made an "outstanding contribution to Irish politics." His brother Gay Mitchell was elected a Fine Gael MEP in 2004 and stood down from the Dail under dual mandate rules in 2007.
As Minister for Transport, Mitchell granted the aviation license to a fledgling airline called Ryanair on 29 November 1985. This was granted despite strong opposition by Ireland's national carrier Aer Lingus. The issue of the license broke Aer Lingus' stranglehold on flights to London from the Republic of Ireland.
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