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Lynn Boylan

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Lynn Boylan
MEP
Boylan in 2023
Member of the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 July 2024
In office
1 July 2014 – 1 July 2019
ConstituencyDublin
Senator
In office
29 June 2020 – 17 July 2024
ConstituencyAgricultural Panel
Personal details
Born (1976-11-29) 29 November 1976 (age 48)
Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland
Political party
Domestic partnerEoin Ó Broin
Alma materUniversity College Dublin
Websitelynnboylan.ie

Lynn Boylan (Irish: Lynn Ní Bhaoighealláin; born 29 November 1976) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Dublin constituency since July 2024. She was previously an MEP for Dublin from 2014 to 2019.[1][2] From 2020 to 2024, she served as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel.[3]

Early life

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Boylan grew up in the Kilnamanagh area of Tallaght.[4] Initially studying journalism and gaining a certificate, she went on to earn post-graduate qualifications from University College Dublin in Environmental Impact Assessment and European Environmental Conservation Management.[4]

Early political career

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Boylan in 2013

In 2005, Boylan moved to County Kerry while working as a coordinator for the Irish Wildlife Trust at Killarney National Park. That same year she joined Sinn Féin.

Under her Irish-language name Lynn Ní Bhaoighealláin,[5] she stood at the 2007 general election as the Sinn Féin candidate in the Kerry South constituency.[6] With only 3.5% of the first-preference votes, she was eliminated on the first count.[6] At the 2009 local elections, she stood for the Killarney local electoral area of Kerry County Council, but was again unsuccessful.[5] She attributed her defeats to being an outsider: "As a Dub in Kerry the odds were stacked against me", she told The Irish Times in 2014.[5]

Boylan returned to Dublin in 2011 to work in Ballymun,[4] for the Global Action Plan, an environmental initiative funded by Ballymun Regeneration.[7] In 2010, she was appointed as chair of the advisory board of Safefood.[7]

In September 2013, Boylan was selected as the Sinn Féin candidate for the Dublin constituency at the 2014 European Parliament election.[8] She then left her job, and as a candidate was paid a wage by Sinn Féin during the campaign.[5]

Boylan began her campaign "practically anonymous", according to Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.[8] By April, Boylan was still described by the Irish Independent newspaper as a "political unknown".[9] Instead of raising her media profile, Boylan's campaign concentrated on canvassing, mostly door-to-door rather than the busier shopping centres.[8] Despite the lack of media exposure, by late May the polls showed Boylan in the lead.[5] In the election on 23 May, Boylan won 23.6% of the first preference votes, and was elected on the third count.[6] As the election count pointed towards Boylan's win, the Fianna Fáil candidate Mary Fitzpatrick asked: "Who could have said somebody would come from nowhere, no track record in Dublin, and still take the lead and steal the first seat and probably have a surplus?".[7]

Member of the European Parliament

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Boylan was a campaigner[10] for the release of Ibrahim Halawa, an Irish citizen from Firhouse in South Dublin who was imprisoned in Egypt between 2013 and 2017[11] and was adopted by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience.[12] In March 2015, Boylan described Halawa as an "Irish-speaking, GAA-playing Dublin lad", and asked if the Irish Government would do more if his name was "Paddy Murphy".[13] In December 2015, Boylan sponsored a motion in the European Parliament calling Halawa's release. She introduced his two sisters to the Parliament before the vote, which passed by over 560 votes to 11.[11]

She lost her seat at the 2019 European Parliament election.

In December 2023, it was announced that Boylan would run for the European Parliament again in 2024, alongside Daithí Doolan.[14] On 11 June 2024, Boylan was elected to the European Parliament as MEP for Dublin, taking the third seat of four.[2] She took office on 17 July 2024.[15]

Senator

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Boylan was elected to the Seanad in April 2020 as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel. She was the Sinn Féin candidate at the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election.[16] She was not elected, getting 4,245 first-preference votes (15.8%).[17]

Personal life

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Boylan is the partner of Eoin Ó Broin, who has been the Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid-West since 2016.[18] They live in Clondalkin, County Dublin.

References

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  1. ^ McGee, Harry (26 May 2014). "Lynn Boylan is first MEP to be elected in Dublin". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Doherty, Andrews, Lynn Boylan and Ó Ríordáin elected MEPs". RTÉ News. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Lynn Boylan". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Moloney, Mark (2 January 2014). "Running for an all-Ireland team in Europe - Dublin EU candidate talks to An Phoblacht". An Phoblacht. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e Lord, Miriam (22 May 2014). "The Sinn Féin candidate who is making a name for herself". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "Lynn Boylan". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Caroline, O’Doherty (22 May 2014). "Opposition finds Boylan's victory hard to swallow". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  8. ^ a b c Clifford, Michael (22 May 2014). "Lynn Boylan: The new Mary Lou?". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  9. ^ Drennan, John (27 April 2014). "'Cinderella girl' looks likely to claim capital as respectable face of Sinn Fein Nua". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  10. ^ Brennan, Colin (2 June 2016). "Irishman Ibrahim Halawa reveals 'gruesome tortures' in Egyptian prison hell". Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  11. ^ a b "MEPs pass resolution seeking Halawa release". RTÉ News. 17 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  12. ^ "Free Ibrahim Halawa". Amnesty International. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  13. ^ McGreevy, Ronan (27 March 2015). "Halawa family call for public support to get brother released". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  14. ^ Nolan, Darragh (2 December 2023). "Sinn Féin select two European election candidates for Dublin". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  15. ^ Cunningham, Paul (17 June 2024). "The loopholes to avoiding four by-elections". RTÉ News.
  16. ^ "Lynn Boylan nominated to stand as Sinn Féin candidate Dublin Bay South by-election". RTE News. 1 June 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  17. ^ "Dublin Bay South by-election". The Irish Times. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  18. ^ Holland, Kitty (27 February 2016). "Profile: Eoin Ó Broin (SF)". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
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