Rose Conway-Walsh ( née Conway) is an Irish

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...

politician who has been a

Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...

(TD) for the

Mayo Mayo often refers to: * Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo" * Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States Mayo may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land Australia * Division of Mayo, an Aust ...

constituency since the 2020 general election. She previously served as a Leader of Sinn Féin in the Seanad and a Senator for the

Agricultural Panel The Agricultural Panel () is one of five vocational panels which together elect 43 of the 60 members of Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas (the legislature of Ireland). The Agricultural Panel elects eleven senators. Election Art ...

from 2016 to 2020.

Early life

Conway-Walsh grew up in Ballycroy, County Mayo and is one of nine children. She attended primary school in Ballycroy before attending a convent in

Belmullet Belmullet (, IPA: �bʲeːlənˠˈwʊɾˠhəd̪ˠ is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of 1,019 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. It is the commercial and cultural heart of the barony of Erris, wh ...

. She moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

when she was 19. On returning to Ireland, she obtained a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

in public management and a Master's degree in Local Government from

NUI Galway The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...

Political career

Conway-Walsh is the first Sinn Féin TD to represent County Mayo in almost 100 years; the last Sinn Féin TD to be elected in Mayo was

John Madden John Earl Madden (April 10, 1936 – December 28, 2021) was an American football coach and sports commentator in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, who he led to eight pl ...

in June 1927. She was a member of

Mayo County Council Mayo County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo) is the authority responsible for local government in County Mayo, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and ...

from 2009 to 2016. She was an unsuccessful candidate for the Mayo constituency at the 2011 and

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

general elections. She founded the Sinn Féin Mayo Women's Movement in response to the lack of women in politics. In July 2021 she attracted criticism for comparing segregated reopening after the Covid-19 Pandemic to the segregation of the American South and the struggle of Rosa Parks, for which she later apologised. She is the party's spokesperson on Higher Education, Innovation, and Science.

Personal life

Conway married Noel Walsh in 2000. They live in

with their two sons.

References

External links

Rose Conway-Walsh's page on the Sinn Féin website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conway-Walsh, Rose Living people Alumni of the University of Galway Irish republicans Local councillors in County Mayo Members of the 25th Seanad 21st-century women members of Seanad Éireann Members of the 33rd Dáil 21st-century women Teachtaí Dála Politicians from County Mayo Sinn Féin senators Sinn Féin TDs (post-1923) Year of birth missing (living people)