11 Facts About Louise O'Reilly

Louise O'Reilly was born on 27 September 1973 and is an Irish Sinn Fein politician who has been a Teachta Dala for the Dublin Fingal West constituency since the 2024 general election, and previously for Dublin Fingal from 2016 to 2024.

Louise O'Reilly's grandfather was a shop steward for the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union while her grandmother was one for the Irish Women Workers' Union.

Louise O'Reilly's father Mick O'Reilly was a trade union official as well, and was a member of the Connolly Youth Movement, the youth wing of the Communist Party of Ireland, before joining the Labour Party, to which the union he worked for was affiliated.

Louise O'Reilly herself worked as an organiser with the SIPTU trade union for a decade before her entrance into politics.

Louise O'Reilly was selected as the Sinn Fein candidate for Dublin Fingal in March 2015 in preparation for the 2016 Irish general election.

In that election Louise O'Reilly was elected on the 10th count.

Reilly's run as Health Minister was considered to be stalling while Louise O'Reilly was believed to be strong on health due to her previous experience as a trade union official representing nurses and doctors.

Louise O'Reilly did, in fact, go on to pip James Reilly for the seat.

Louise O'Reilly's opponents accused her of being "parachuted" into the constituency, and it was only after she was elected that she moved from Crumlin to Skerries to reside in the constituency she represented.

Louise O'Reilly was appointed Sinn Fein's spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 2 July 2020.

Louise O'Reilly was re-elected in the 2024 Irish general election in Dublin Fingal West.