Charlie McConalogue
Charlie McConalogue (born 4 October 1977) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister of State for Law Reform since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal constituency since the 2016 general election. He previously sat as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal North-East constituency from 2011 to 2016.[1]
Charlie McConalogue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of State for Law Reform | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2020 | |
| Taoiseach | Micheál Martin |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office February 2016 | |
| Constituency | Donegal |
| In office February 2011 – February 2016 | |
| Constituency | Donegal North-East |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Charles McConalogue 4 October 1977 Inishowen, County Donegal, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
Early life
McConalogue has a degree in economics, politics, and history from University College Dublin (UCD), which he completed after a year as Education Officer in the UCD Students' Union. After graduation, he worked as a political organiser at the Fianna Fáil party headquarters in Dublin. Upon the death of his father, he returned home to Carndonagh, County Donegal, to manage the family farm.[2]
Political career
McConalogue was elected to Donegal County Council at the 2009 local elections to represent the Inishowen electoral area.[3]
After Jim McDaid's retirement and Niall Blaney's decision to step down from politics for personal reasons, Fianna Fáil had no sitting TD in Donegal North-East to contest the 2011 general election. The party chose McConalogue as Fianna Fáil's sole candidate for the constituency.
In the election, he won 17.4% of the first-preference vote and was elected on the 9th count to fill the third and final seat, behind Sinn Féin's Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Fine Gael's Joe McHugh.[4] He was the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Children from April 2011 to July 2012. In July 2012, he was appointed as party spokesperson on Education and Skills.
In the 2016 general election, after a redrawing of constituency boundaries, McConalogue ran alongside Pat "the Cope" Gallagher as one of two Fianna Fáil candidates in the new five-seater Donegal constituency. McConalogue topped the poll and was elected on the first count.[5]
He represented Fianna Fáil in talks on government formation in 2016.[6]
On 1 July 2020, McConalogue was appointed as a Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality with responsibility for law reform. [7]
References
- "Charlie McConalogue". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
- Fionnan Sheahan (9 February 2011). "Donegal North-East: Wipeout feared as FF reduced to one candidate". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- "Candidates 2011: Charlie McConalogue". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- "Charlie McConalogue". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
- "Donegal count: Independent Thomas Pringle takes final seat". The Irish Times. 28 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- McGee, Harry (12 March 2016). "Fianna Fáil's negotiating team for government talks revealed". The Irish Times.
- https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/these-are-the-17-new-junior-ministers-completing-the-government-1008737.html
External links
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jim McDaid Niall Blaney Joe McHugh |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Donegal North-East 2011–2016 |
Constituency abolished |
| Preceded by New constituency |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Donegal 2016–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| New office | Minister of State for Law Reform 2020–present |
Incumbent |