Rose Conway-Walsh
Rose Conway-Walsh is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála for the Mayo constituency since the 2020 general election. She previously served as a Leader of Sinn Féin in the Seanad and a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 2016 to 2020.
Early life
Conway-Walsh grew up in Ballycroy, County Mayo and is one of nine children. She attended primary school in Ballycroy before attending Our Lady's Secondary School in Belmullet. She moved to London when she was 19. On returning to Ireland, she obtained a bachelor's degree in public management and a master's degree in local government from NUI Galway. Prior to entering politics, she worked in community development.Political career
Conway-Walsh has been a member of Sinn Féin's Ard Comhairle since 1990. She founded the Sinn Féin Mayo Women's Movement in response to the lack of women in politics.At the 2009 Mayo County Council election, she was elected for the local electoral area of Belmullet, becoming the first female councillor ever elected in Belmullet. She was re-elected in 2014, topping the poll and being elected on the first count.
She was an unsuccessful candidate for the Mayo constituency at the 2011 and 2016 general elections, She was elected to the Seanad in 2016, topping the poll in the Agricultural Panel and was elected on the first count.
At the 2020 Irish general election, she was elected to the 33rd Dáil, the first Sinn Féin TD to be elected in Mayo since John Madden in June 1927. She was the party's spokesperson on Higher Education, Innovation, and Science. In July 2021 she attracted criticism for comparing segregated reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic to the segregation of the American South and the struggle of Rosa Parks, for which she later apologised.
At the 2024 general election, Conway-Walsh was re-elected to the Dáil. She was subsequently appointed Cathaoirleach of the Committee on Defence and National Security.