Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Encyclopedia
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn is an Irish
Sinn Féin
politician from Buncrana in County Donegal
. He was elected as a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Donegal North East
constituency at the 2011 general election.
, England
on 12 June 1973, the son of two Irish parents, Réamonn and Mary Mac Lochlainn. He was their only child. His father was a Provisional IRA volunteer who spent nine and a half years imprisoned in jails across England. Upon release, his father wrote a book about his prison experience called "Inside An English Jail". His uncle Colm Mac Lochlainn was also a Provisional IRA volunteer and was imprisoned in Long Kesh
for five years.
After his father's release from prison in England, Pádraig then aged 10 moved with his family to his father's home of Buncrana, County Donegal and he has lived there since. His father died in a drowning accident in Shannon, County Clare
in 1985. Pádraig Mac Lochlainn left school at the age of 14 and later returned to education as an adult through community development studies and distance learning. He worked in the painting and decorating trade for many years.
At local level, he was a community director on the Inishowen Partnership Board for 5 years from 1996 to 2001. His work as a community activist and political representative had led him to speak at conferences across Europe on the issues of unemployment, regional neglect and rural poverty.
He was co-opted onto Buncrana Town Council in 2002. He was then subsequently elected onto Buncrana Town Council in 2004 and 2009. He was also elected to Donegal County Council
in 2004 representing the Inishowen
local electoral area
and was re-elected in 2009. Mac Lochlainn served as Mayor of Buncrana twice; 2005–06 and 2010–11. He also served as Deputy Mayor of Donegal from 2010–11.
At national level, he was the Director of Sinn Féin's campaign against the Lisbon Treaty in 2008. He has served as Chairperson of his party's National Councillors Forum (NCF) and has served on the Sinn Féin Ard Comhairle (National Executive). He was appointed to the board of InterTradeIreland, the Trade and Business Development Body in December 2007 and served on the board up until March 2011.
He is the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is a member of two Joint Oireachtas Committees, Foreign Affairs and Trade and European Affairs. He is also a member of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA).
In the Dáil he has criticised septic tank charges, describing them as "a tax on the rural people of Donegal and other counties".
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
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...
politician from Buncrana in County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He was elected as a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Donegal North East
Donegal North East (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Donegal North–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
constituency at the 2011 general election.
Early life
Mac Lochlainn was born in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 12 June 1973, the son of two Irish parents, Réamonn and Mary Mac Lochlainn. He was their only child. His father was a Provisional IRA volunteer who spent nine and a half years imprisoned in jails across England. Upon release, his father wrote a book about his prison experience called "Inside An English Jail". His uncle Colm Mac Lochlainn was also a Provisional IRA volunteer and was imprisoned in Long Kesh
Maze (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
for five years.
After his father's release from prison in England, Pádraig then aged 10 moved with his family to his father's home of Buncrana, County Donegal and he has lived there since. His father died in a drowning accident in Shannon, County Clare
Shannon, County Clare
Shannon or Shannon Town , named after the river near which it stands, is a town located in County Clare. It was given town status on 1 January 1982. The town is located just off the N19 road, a spur of the N18/M18 road between Limerick city and Ennis....
in 1985. Pádraig Mac Lochlainn left school at the age of 14 and later returned to education as an adult through community development studies and distance learning. He worked in the painting and decorating trade for many years.
Civic and political career
Incensed by the high levels of unemployment in his native county, he acted as the Donegal spokesperson for the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) from 1997 to 2001. He also served on the INOU National Executive from 1997 until 2000 as well as representing the organisation on the National Rural Development Forum.At local level, he was a community director on the Inishowen Partnership Board for 5 years from 1996 to 2001. His work as a community activist and political representative had led him to speak at conferences across Europe on the issues of unemployment, regional neglect and rural poverty.
He was co-opted onto Buncrana Town Council in 2002. He was then subsequently elected onto Buncrana Town Council in 2004 and 2009. He was also elected to Donegal County Council
Donegal County Council
Donegal County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Donegal in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The head of the council has the title of Mayor...
in 2004 representing the Inishowen
Inishowen
Inishowen is a peninsula in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. It is also the largest peninsula in all of Ireland. Inishowen is a picturesque location with a rich history...
local electoral area
Local electoral area
A local electoral area is a sub-division of a county and city-level local government used for electoral purposes in Ireland. Each local electoral area consists of a number of lower-level units known as district electoral divisions...
and was re-elected in 2009. Mac Lochlainn served as Mayor of Buncrana twice; 2005–06 and 2010–11. He also served as Deputy Mayor of Donegal from 2010–11.
At national level, he was the Director of Sinn Féin's campaign against the Lisbon Treaty in 2008. He has served as Chairperson of his party's National Councillors Forum (NCF) and has served on the Sinn Féin Ard Comhairle (National Executive). He was appointed to the board of InterTradeIreland, the Trade and Business Development Body in December 2007 and served on the board up until March 2011.
Dáil Éireann (2011–present)
Mac Lochlainn was elected to the Dáil on 25 February 2011 for the constituency of Donegal North East on his third attempt.He is the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is a member of two Joint Oireachtas Committees, Foreign Affairs and Trade and European Affairs. He is also a member of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA).
In the Dáil he has criticised septic tank charges, describing them as "a tax on the rural people of Donegal and other counties".