Niall_Ó_Donnghaile

Niall Ó Donnghaile

Niall Ó Donnghaile

Irish former Sinn Féin politician (born 1985)

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Irish pronunciation: [ˈn̠ʲiəl̪ˠ oː ˈd̪ˠɔn̪ˠɣalʲə]; born 28 May 1985) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who served as a Senator for the Administrative Panel from 2016 to 2024. He was the Leader of Sinn Féin in the Seanad from June 2020 to January 2024.[1] He previously served as Lord Mayor of Belfast from 2011 to 2012 and a Councillor on Belfast City Council from 2011 to 2016.[2]

Quick Facts Leader of Sinn Féin in the Seanad, Leader ...

Early life and career

Ó Donnghaile was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was educated through Irish at Coláiste Feirste, Belfast and subsequently obtained a B.A. in Politics from Ulster University.[3]

A community worker in the Short Strand, the area of East Belfast in which he was born, and a member of the Short Strand Partnership Board, he also works with various other organisations in Belfast on issues such as the developments at Titanic Quarter and Sirocco Quays, and has spoken strongly in support of residents on the issue of the proposed runway extension at Belfast City Airport.[4]

Political career

Ó Donnghaile was a Sinn Féin councillor for the Pottinger district electoral area in East Belfast.[4] He was previously employed as the party's press officer in the Northern Ireland Assembly.[5][6]

Lord Mayor of Belfast

Ó Donnghaile became Lord Mayor of Belfast in June 2011. Aged 25 at the time, he was the city's youngest ever Lord Mayor.[7]

After taking office as Lord Mayor of Belfast, he removed portraits of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Prince Charles from the Mayor's parlour, replacing them with a portrait of the United Irishmen and a copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. He kept portraits of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on display. He said he did this to make the parlour "more reflective of Belfast". Unionist councillors demanded that the two royal portraits be put back.[8]

In December 2011, he declined to present an award to a Belfast girl who was a British Army cadet. He explained: "At the last minute I was informed that one of the awards was to be presented to a representative of the Army Cadet Force [...] to avoid any unnecessary sensitivities to either party, it was arranged for the outgoing chairman of the organisation to present some of the certificates alongside me".[9]

Seanad Éireann

Ó Donnghaile was elected to the Seanad in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. In December 2023, he announced that he would resign from the Seanad for health reasons.[10] He resigned on 22 January 2024.[11]

References

  1. [1]
    "Niall Ó Donnghaile". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  2. [2]
    @OireachtasNews (28 April 2016). "Seanad Éireann – Result of the 5th Count & State of Poll – Irwin, Jonathan eliminated #25thSeanad #seeforyourself" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 April 2016 – via Twitter.
  3. [3]
    "Niall Ó Donnghaile". Linkedin.com. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  4. [4]
    "South and East Belfast: Cllr. Niall Ó Donnghaile (Pottinger)". Sebelfastsinnfein.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  5. [5]
    "BBC News – DUP backs Ruth Patterson over Sinn Féin mayor snub". bbc.co.uk. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  6. [6]
    "Niall O Donnghaile profile". The Guardian. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  7. [7]
    "Sinn Féin man is Belfast's youngest Mayor". Belfasttelegraph. Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  8. [8]
    "SF mayor removes royal portraits". UTV News. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  9. [9]
    "Sinn Féin mayor slammed over failure to present award to army cadet". BBC News. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  10. [10]
    McQuinn, Cormac (21 December 2023). "Belfast-based Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile resigns from Seanad for health reasons". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  11. [11]
    "Resignation of Member". Oireachtas. 22 January 2024. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
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