1. Averil Power was born on 26 July 1978 and is an Irish former politician who served as a senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel from 2011 to 2016.
24 Facts About Averil Power
1. 2.
Averil Power first held office as a member of Fianna Fail, but left the party in 2015 and sat in the Seanad as an independent for the rest of her term.
3.
Averil Power stood as an independent candidate for Dail Eireann at the 2016 general election, but was not elected.
4.
Averil Power grew up in a council estate and was the first person in her family to finish school and go to college.
5.
Averil Power has a degree in business, economics and social science from Trinity College Dublin, where she was elected to the positions of President and Education Officer of Trinity College Dublin Students' Union.
6.
Averil Power has a Diploma in Legal Studies from King's Inns and is a graduate of the Boston College Political Leadership Programme.
7.
Averil Power unsuccessfully contested election for President of the Union of Students in Ireland in March 2002, losing out to DIT student Colm Jordan.
8.
Averil Power remained a political adviser to Hanafin until the 2011 general election.
9.
Averil Power contested the Dublin North-East constituency at the 2011 general election but was not elected.
10.
On 25 May 2015, Averil Power left Fianna Fail, citing disagreements over how they had handled the same-sex marriage referendum.
11.
Averil Power believed that Fianna Fail did not sufficiently support the Yes campaign.
12.
In December 2015, Averil Power caused controversy when it emerged she had used taxpayers money to print 73,000 calendars that were to be distributed throughout her constituency just weeks before the 2016 general election.
13.
Averil Power contested the 2016 general election in the newly created Dublin Bay North constituency as an independent candidate.
14.
Averil Power contested the 2016 Seanad election for Dublin University.
15.
Averil Power is interested in education, social justice, mental health and LGBT equality.
16.
Averil Power was awarded a GALA for 'Politician of the Year' by the National LGBT Federation in 2014.
17.
Averil Power produced policy papers on youth mental health and increasing female representation in politics.
18.
Averil Power has talked about being an adopted person and wants all Irish adoptees to have a right to their birth certs.
19.
Averil Power has an interest in development issues and volunteered in Mozambique with Voluntary Service Overseas in August 2011.
20.
Averil Power visited the Occupied Palestinian territories with Christian Aid in 2013 and is a vocal advocate of the rights of the Palestinian people.
21.
Averil Power proposed a motion recognizing the State of Palestine which was passed by the Irish Senate in October 2014.
22.
Averil Power is a Jury member for the global Frontline Defenders human rights awards.
23.
Averil Power is married to Fionnan Sheahan, who edits the Irish Independent.
24.
On 23 October 2014, a man in California named Jeremy David Hanson sent Averil Power a threatening email.