Catherine Connolly | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Connolly in 2024 | |
| Leas-Cheann Comhairle ofDáil Éireann | |
| In office 23 July 2020 – 8 November 2024 | |
| Ceann Comhairle | Seán Ó Fearghaíl |
| Preceded by | Pat "the Cope" Gallagher |
| Succeeded by | John McGuinness |
| Chair of theCommittee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands | |
| In office 4 April 2016 – 15 September 2020 | |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | Niamh Smyth |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office February 2016 | |
| Constituency | Galway West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1957-07-12)12 July 1957 (age 67) Galway, Ireland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Labour Party(until 2006) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | catherineconnolly |
Catherine Connolly (born 12 July 1957) is an Irishindependent politician who served asLeas-Cheann Comhairle of the33rd Dáil from July 2020 to November 2024. She has been aTeachta Dála (TD) for theGalway West constituency since2016. She served as Chair of theCommittee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands from 2016 to 2020 andMayor of Galway from 2004 to 2005.[1][2]
Connolly is a patron of thePeople's Movement.[3]
Connolly was first elected toGalway City Council in the city westlocal electoral area at the1999 Galway Corporation election and then re-elected in the city south local electoral area at the2004 Galway City Council election.[4] In the same year she was electedMayor of Galway.
She resigned from the Labour Party in 2006, when she was denied her wish to contest theGalway West constituency as running mate ofMichael D. Higgins.[5] She contested the2007 general election as an independent candidate, polling just over 2,000 votes.[5]
Her sister, Colette, a formerGalway City Councillor,[6] was co-opted to replace her on Galway City Council when she was elected a TD.[7]
Connolly contested the2011 general election again in Galway West,[8] where she lost out on the last seat toFine Gael'sSeán Kyne by only 17 votes. She sought a full recount,[9] which concluded after four days but did not change the outcome.[10]
She was elected to the Dáil for the Galway West constituency at the2016 general election.
She voted forRichard Boyd Barrett forTaoiseach when the32nd Dáil first met.[11] At the 32nd Dáil's second meeting on 5 April 2016, she made her maiden speech in which she criticised theMinister for the Environment, Community and Local GovernmentAlan Kelly's handling of Ireland's homelessness crisis.[12] Connolly sat on the Public Accounts Committee and was Chair of the Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands.
Connolly contested the2020 general election. She was re-elected on the 12th count.[13]
Connolly was elected theLeas-Cheann Comhairle ofDáil Éireann on 23 July 2020, in a surprise victory over Fine Gael candidateFergus O'Dowd, and was the first woman to hold the position.[14]
In January 2021, Connolly criticised the Government for their handling of the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters). Referring to theTaoiseach,Tánaiste andMinister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as the "three unwise men", she was critical of the Government's failure to provide survivors of mother and baby homes the report before it was released to the general public.[15] Connolly stated: "This document I have to hand is what the report looks like. I hold it up to show survivors because they do not have it. It is the executive summary with the recommendations and one or two other things. Not a single survivor has it. I have it since yesterday, when it was put in the pigeonholes of Deputies."[15]
In June 2023 Connolly appeared alongsideClare Daly,Mick Wallace,Mairéad Farrell andGeorge Galloway in a "Neutrality forum" hosted by the organisation "Galway Alliance Against War" where the topic for discussion was theRusso-Ukrainian War.[16]
In May 2024, during the campaign for the2024 European Parliament election, Connolly endorsed Clare Daly in theDublin constituency.[17]
Originally from Shantalla, Connolly has lived in theCladdagh since 1988, and is married with two children. Abarrister by profession, she also previously worked as aclinical psychologist, with the Western Health Board inBallinasloe,Galway andConnemara. She is aGaeilgeoir.[18]
| Civic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Galway 2004–2005 | Succeeded by |