Kathleen Funchion
Kathleen Funchion | |
|---|---|
Funchion in 2024 | |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| Assumed office 17 July 2024 | |
| Constituency | South |
| Chair of the Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration | |
| In office 15 September 2020 – 17 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Alan Farrell |
| Chair of the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement | |
| In office 4 April 2016 – 15 September 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Joe McHugh |
| Succeeded by | Fergus O'Dowd |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office February 2016 – 17 July 2024 | |
| Constituency | Carlow–Kilkenny |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 April 1981 |
| Party | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | American College Dublin |
Kathleen Funchion (born 22 April 1981)[1][2] is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the South constituency since July 2024. She was previously a TD for Carlow–Kilkenny from the 2016 general election to 2024.[3] She was Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Children, Disabilities, Integration and Equality.
Personal life
Funchion was born in Callan, County Kilkenny.[4][5] She was previously married to David Cullinane who is a Sinn Féin TD for Waterford.[6] She is a survivor of a coercive control relationship with Sean Tyrrell a blocklayer from County Tipperary.[7][8]
Political career
She was a member of Kilkenny Borough Council from 2009 to 2014 and Kilkenny County Council from 2014 to 2016.[9] Prior to her election to the Dáil, she worked with the SIPTU trade union.[10]
She contested the 2007 general election and the 2011 general election in Carlow–Kilkenny, and the 2009 European Parliament election in East. She was elected to the 32nd Dáil for Carlow-Kilkenny at the 2016 general election, taking the third seat. From 2016 to 2020, she served Chair of the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.[2] She was re-elected at the 2020 general election, taking the first seat. In September 2020, she was appointed as chair of the Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration in the 33rd Dáil.
Funchion was a Sinn Féin candidate for the South constituency at the 2024 European Parliament election.[11] Funchion received 7.35% of the first preference votes, and was elected on the 20th count, taking the fifth seat.[12] She took office on 17 July 2024.[13]
References
- ^ a b Tim Ryan (2020). Nealon's Guide to the 33rd Dáil and 26th Seanad and the 2019 Local and European Elections. Grand Canal Publishing.
- ^ a b Keena, Colm (28 February 2016). "Profile: Kathleen Funchion (SF)". The Irish Times. Dublin. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Kathleen Funchion". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ Matthews, Sam (22 June 2024). "From Sinn Fein's lone Kilkenny councillor to Irish MEP: The rise of Kathleen Funchion". Kilkenny People. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ "Kathleen Funchion". European Parliament. 7 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Profile: Kathleen Funchion (SF)". The Irish Times. 28 February 2016. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "Kathleen Funchion speaks out after ex partner jailed over coercive control". BreakingNews.ie. 29 April 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ Furlong, Brendan; Horgan-Jones, Jack. "'I got justice': Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion's ex-partner has jail sentence increased". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Kathleen Funchion". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ "Kathleen Funchion". Sinn Féin. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Candidates for European Election". Cork City Returning Officer. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "All Irish MEPs elected as count closes in Midlands-North-West". RTÉ News. 14 June 2024. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Cunningham, Paul (17 June 2024). "The loopholes to avoiding four by-elections". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
External links
- Kathleen Funchion's page on the Sinn Féin website
- Personal profile of Kathleen Funchion in the European Parliament's database of members