Mairéad Farrell (politician)
Irish politician (born 1990)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mairéad Farrell (born 5 January 1990)[1] is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since the 2020 general election.[2]
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Mairéad Farrell | |
|---|---|
Farrell in 2024 | |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office February 2020 | |
| Constituency | Galway West |
| Chair of the Public Accounts Committee | |
| In office 22 October 2024 – 8 November 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Brian Stanley |
| Succeeded by | John Brady |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 January 1990 Galway, Ireland |
| Party | Sinn Féin |
| Relatives | Mairéad Farrell (aunt) |
Early life and education
Mairéad Farrell is from the Mervue area in Galway City.[3] Her father, Niall, is an anti-war activist and her aunt, also called Mairéad Farrell, was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who became one of the Gibraltar Three (three PIRA members killed by the British SAS in Gibraltar).[4]
Farrell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History from NUI Galway and a Master of Science in Finance from Queen's University Belfast.[5]
Political career
In her youth, Farrell and her family canvassed for Catherine Connolly and her sister Colette during their election campaigns.[6] Farrell joined Ógra Shinn Féin in college, describing it as a formative experience that offered both political training and social engagement, and she credited it with giving young members valuable opportunities to develop skills such as organising and public speaking. While her family background influenced her politicisation, she said she did not feel burdened by the republican legacy of her late aunt and namesake. Farrell explained that she had long aspired to join Sinn Féin, but followed her mother’s advice to wait until after school, formally becoming a member before college. She has cited the 2008 financial crash as a decisive factor, saying Sinn Féin’s economic positions and her own commitment to Irish unity aligned with the party’s left-republican outlook.[6]
Farrell sat on Sinn Féin's National Youth Committee for five years. She represented the Galway City East local electoral area on Galway City Council from 2014 to 2019.[7][8][9] She became a TD for Galway West in February 2020 at that year's general election.[2]
She is Sinn Féin's Spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform. She appeared on the Irish Times list of top 50 young people to watch in 2021[10] as well as one of 10 TDs making a name for themselves since the 2020 election[11] in the Irish Examiner.
Farrell is a regular contributor to Irish and international media and has written for the Irish Times, the Irish Examiner and international publications such as CounterPunch.[12]
In June 2023 Farrell was scheduled to appear alongside Clare Daly, Mick Wallace, Catherine Connolly, George Galloway and academic Karen Devine in a neutrality forum hosted by the organisation Galway Alliance Against War, which describes itself as a group in Galway for those who are "opposed to war and military imperialism", prior to the event's cancellation. Farrell said she would be discussing her party's position at the event.[13]
Farrell served as Cathaoirleach of the Dáil's influential Public Accounts Committee, after Brian Stanley's resignation from Sinn Féin from 22 October 2024 until the 2024 general election.[14][15]
Farrell was re-elected in 2024. She was subsequently appointed Cathaoirleach of the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach.[16] She currently serves on Sinn Féin's Front Bench, as spokesperson on Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.