Anne Brolly

Anne Brolly is an Irish Aontú and former Sinn Féin politician and councillor who served on Limavady Borough Council in Northern Ireland. She is the wife of MLA Francie Brolly and together they form a singing duo and write songs.[1] Their son Joe Brolly is a Derry footballer and TV sports pundit.

Anne Brolly
Mayor of Limavady
In office 2003 – June 14, 2004
Preceded by	George Robinson
Succeeded by	John Rankin
Personal details
Political party	Aontu
Other political affiliations	Sinn Féin (until 2016)
Spouse(s)	Francie Brolly (?–2020; his death)
Children	Joe Brolly, Proinnsias, Conal, Áine, Nodlaig

In 2001, Brolly was elected as a councillor to Limavady Borough Council for the electoral area of Benbradagh. She topped the first preference votes with 1056, and her husband came in second with 917. He was also elected to the council. The quota was 840.[2]

In 2003, Brolly took over from George Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as the Mayor of Limavady.[3] At Christmas 2003 she was asked to switch on the Christmas tree lights for Burnfoot. There was a small Loyalist protest during the switching-on of the lights because of the election of a Sinn Féin mayor. Afterwards, the tree was cut down by vandals and the lights smashed.[3] On 14 June 2004 Councillor Brolly stood down as Mayor.[4]

In October 2004, the High Court of Northern Ireland ordered the government to provide the Brolly couple with protection, following reports of threats from the Red Hand Defenders, a Loyalist paramilitary group.[5]

In 2005, she was re-elected to the council, but this time for the Limavady Town electoral area. She garnered 657 first preference votes, a total of 17.6% of the vote. She was the only Sinn Féin councillor elected in that area, coming third behind George Robinson and Alan Robinson both of the DUP.[2]

In January 2008, Brolly and another councillor were confronted by a crowd in an "extremely nasty mood" outside the council's offices. Police were called.[6]

In 2016, Brolly revealed that she left Sinn Féin over its support for abortion.[7] In March 2018 she and her husband joined Aontú, a new anti-abortion republican party founded by former Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín.[8]

References

1. "Artist: Various Title: Irish Pub Songs Label: Metro Cat No: METRCD180". Discovery Records. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
2. Dr Nicholas Whyte. "Limavady Council Elections 1993–2005". ARK Northern Ireland (Access Research Knowledge. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
3. Dr Martin Melaugh. "CAIN: Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes – Yearly Listing". Cain.ulst.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
4. "Annual Meeting" (PDF). Limavady Borough Council. 14 June 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
5. "Protection move after court plea". BBC News. 27 October 2004. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
6. "Police intervene in council row". BBC News. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
7. "Anne Brolly says she left Sinn Fein over party's stance on abortion". The Irish News. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
8. Young, Connla (18 March 2019). "Anne and Francie Brolly to stand for Aontú in local elections". The Irish News. Retrieved 30 April 2019.

Political offices
Preceded by George Robinson	Mayor of Limavady 2003–2004	Succeeded by John Rankin