Carál Ní Chuilín
Encyclopedia
Carál Ní Chuilín, MLA
is an Irish politician in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
. She was elected in 2007
to the Northern Ireland Assembly
as a Sinn Féin
member for North Belfast
. Re-elected in 2011, she was on 17 May 2011 elected by the Assembly under the D'Hondt method
as Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
.
She was sentenced to eight years in prison in 1989 on explosives charges, but was released after only serving four years of her sentence.
She graduated from the Open University
in 1994 with a BSc in Social Studies. She is presently studying for her Master's Degree in Management.
She was raised in the New Lodge
district of Belfast, where she still lives.
Ní Chuilín represented Sinn Féín
for the Oldpark electoral area on Belfast City Council
from 2005 to 2007, when she was replaced by Conor Maskey.
In her capacity as the minister responsible for sport, Ní Chuilín became the first senior Sinn Féin representative to attend a football match involving the Northern Ireland team
, when it defeated the Faroe Islands at Windsor Park
on 10 August 2011, and she commended "the very real efforts that have been made by the IFA
to tackle sectarianism at their matches" .
Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)
Member of the Legislative Assembly is a representative elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland.- About :...
is an Irish politician in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. She was elected in 2007
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were elected. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, along with the Alliance Party, increase their...
to the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
as a Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
member for North Belfast
Belfast North (Assembly constituency)
Belfast North is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973...
. Re-elected in 2011, she was on 17 May 2011 elected by the Assembly under the D'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
as Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
.
She was sentenced to eight years in prison in 1989 on explosives charges, but was released after only serving four years of her sentence.
She graduated from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
in 1994 with a BSc in Social Studies. She is presently studying for her Master's Degree in Management.
She was raised in the New Lodge
New Lodge, Belfast
The New Lodge is an urban, working-class Catholic community in Belfast, Northern Ireland, immediately to the north of city centre. The landscape is dominated by several large tower blocks. The area has a number of murals, mostly sited along the New Lodge Road...
district of Belfast, where she still lives.
Ní Chuilín represented Sinn Féín
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
for the Oldpark electoral area on Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
from 2005 to 2007, when she was replaced by Conor Maskey.
In her capacity as the minister responsible for sport, Ní Chuilín became the first senior Sinn Féin representative to attend a football match involving the Northern Ireland team
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, when it defeated the Faroe Islands at Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...
on 10 August 2011, and she commended "the very real efforts that have been made by the IFA
IFA
- Science :* Indirect Fluorescent Antibody test* Incomplete Freund's adjuvant, an antigen solution emulsified in mineral oil, used as a booster of the immune system* Interferometer, a device to measure the interference pattern caused by differing waves...
to tackle sectarianism at their matches" .