He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary South constituency from 1969 to 1981 and 1987 to 2007.
[2] He was educated at CBS Cashel and at Franciscan College in County Meath.
In 1991, he was appointed to cabinet as Minister for Education in a reshuffle that followed a failed attempt of Albert Reynolds and Pádraig Flynn to oust Charles Haughey as taoiseach.
In 1995, he became Opposition Spokesman on European Affairs when Bertie Ahern named his new front bench.
Fianna Fáil were returned to government and Davern was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food.