1. Marie-Louise O'Donnell was born on 5 September 1952 and is an Irish academic, and later broadcaster and politician, who served as a Senator from 2011 to 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.
14 Facts About Marie-Louise O'Donnell
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell played a key role in the arts at Dublin City University over a 23-year period, including in the launch of the Helix cultural centre.
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From Foxford, County Mayo, O'Donnell is the daughter and second child of Frank O'Donnell from Foxford and Maire Cranny from Newry, a speech and drama teacher, still working in southern County Dublin as of 2018.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell became head of drama at the teacher training college, Carysfort College, where she taught for ten years, until the college's closure in 1988, when she was appointed as a lecturer in the School of Communications at Dublin City University.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell became involved in building the arts aspect of campus life, including DCU Arts Week, the Writer in Residence Programme, Ford Society Awards and Children's Arts Days.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell worked on productions including the Larkin Concert Series, Wilde Space Theatre, Open Air Opera, RIAM graduate concerts, and a performance at DCU by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell has lectured extensively in Ireland, Europe and the US in the areas of education, and Irish culture, especially drama and language.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell served two terms on the board of the National Concert Hall in the 1990s and 2000s.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell first rose to prominence in the media as a reporter on RTE Radio 1's Today with Pat Kenny in the summer of 2010.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell trained in radio production and presentation with the BBC and presented programmes for BBC Radio 4.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell indicated that the appointment was a surprise, and she did not enter as a member of any party.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell ousted David Norris from his role as leader of the Seanad's independent Technical Group on 29 June 2016; however, she later left the group.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell is noted for her persistent and firm defence of Enda Kenny.
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Marie-Louise O'Donnell commenced PhD studies on university teaching at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, now the DCU Institute of Education, in 2009.