1. Catherine Connolly was born on 12 July 1957 and is an Irish independent politician who served as Leas-Cheann Comhairle of the 33rd Dail from July 2020 to November 2024.
15 Facts About Catherine Connolly
1. 2.
Catherine Connolly has been a Teachta Dala for the Galway West constituency since 2016.
3.
Catherine Connolly served as Chair of the Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands from 2016 to 2020 and Mayor of Galway from 2004 to 2005.
4.
Catherine Connolly contested the 2007 general election as an independent candidate, polling just over 2,000 votes.
5.
Catherine Connolly contested the 2011 general election again in Galway West, where she lost out on the last seat to Fine Gael's Sean Kyne by only 17 votes.
6.
Catherine Connolly sought a full recount, which concluded after four days but did not change the outcome.
7.
Catherine Connolly was elected to the Dail for the Galway West constituency at the 2016 general election.
8.
Catherine Connolly voted for Richard Boyd Barrett for Taoiseach when the 32nd Dail first met.
9.
Catherine Connolly sat on the Public Accounts Committee and was Chair of the Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands.
10.
In 2018 Catherine Connolly joined Clare Daly, Mick Wallace and Maureen O'Sullivan as well as members of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign on a visit to Damascus, Maaloula and Aleppo in Syria.
11.
Catherine Connolly was elected the Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dail Eireann on 23 July 2020, in a surprise victory over Fine Gael candidate Fergus O'Dowd, and was the first woman to hold the position.
12.
In January 2021, Catherine Connolly criticised the Government for their handling of the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation.
13.
In June 2023 Catherine Connolly appeared alongside Clare Daly, Mick Wallace, Mairead Farrell and George Galloway in a "Neutrality forum" hosted by the organisation "Galway Alliance Against War" where the topic for discussion was the Russo-Ukrainian War.
14.
In May 2024, during the campaign for the 2024 European Parliament election, Catherine Connolly endorsed Clare Daly in the Dublin constituency.
15.
Originally from Shantalla, Catherine Connolly has lived in the Claddagh since 1988, and is married with two children.