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6 November 2003 Edition

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Sinn Féin candidates

In the second of a two-part series, we present the candidates standing for Sinn Féin in the 26 November Assembly elections.

Mid-Ulster

Martin McGuinness MP/MLA

Martin is married to Bernie and they have four children. He is Sinn Féin's Chief Negotiator and has played a major role in promoting and supporting the strategy of the current Peace Process.

In 1982, Martin was elected to the short-lived Stormont Assembly. In 1997 Martin was elected MP for the Mid-Ulster constituency. In 1998, he was elected to the Assembly for the same constituency. He became Minister for Education in the new Assembly in November 1999. He was re-elected as MP in 2001.

Martin has represented the party in high level discussions with political leaders in Europe as well as America.

Councillor Francie Molloy MLA

Francie Molloy was one of the first people in his area to join the Civil Rights Movement and has been involved in local and national political life ever since.

He is a member of Sinn Féin's Ard Chomhairle (National Executive) and the party's negotiations team.

Elected to the Assembly for Mid-Ulster in 1998, he was chairperson of the Finance and Personnel Committee and also was a member of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. He is currently chairperson of the Sinn Féin Equality Commission and the party spokesperson on Finance.

Francie is a leading member of Sinn Féin's International Department.

Geraldine Dougan

A 34 year-old mother of five, Geraldine comes from a strong republican family. She is a long time resident of Maghera and is active in the campaign for pre-school education provision. She is an avid GAA supporter.

Geraldine is also a member of the Sinn Féin Mid-Ulster Women's Forum.

Cora Groogan

Cora, from the Ballinascreen area is a 22-year-old Queens University History and Politics Graduate. She is also a Past Deputy President of Queens Student Union with a particular interest in combating Student Poverty. She was Chair of Queens Sinn Féin Cumann and Organiser of Ográ Shinn Féin in the Six Counties.

South Belfast

Councillor Alex Maskey MLA

Alex Maskey is from Andersonstown in West Belfast and is married to Liz with two children. He was elected the first republican Mayor of Belfast in 2002. He was the first Sinn Féin Councillor to be elected to Belfast City Council when he won a by-election in 1984. He is a Sinn Féin Councillor for Laganbank in South Belfast and was elected as Assembly member for West Belfast in 1998, serving as the party's Chief Whip. He served on several Assembly committees including the Finance and Personnel Committee and is a member of the party Ard Chomhairle.

South Down

Councillor Éamonn McConvey

Éamonn McConvey is married to Carmel and they have three children. Éamonn works as a self-employed electrician.

From 1986-1996 he played a leading role in promoting the Irish language in Down District. He currently chairs a number of community organisations.

Elected as a Sinn Féin Councillor to Down District Council in 2001, Éamonn topped the poll in Downpatrick with over 1,100 votes. Éamonn has served as Council Group Leader on Down District Council has won a number of key positions on the Council.

Caitríona Ruane

Caitríona Ruane is a deeply committed human rights and community activist, and is married with two daughters.

A fluent Spanish speaker and Gaelgeoir, she worked for a US-based aid foundation from 1983-'87 in Central America. She also worked full-time for Trocaire and was an international observer for the elections in South Africa that saw Nelson Mandela become President.

Caitríona has lobbied the UN and the EU on human rights in the North. From 1997-2001 she was the Director of th West Belfast Festival, Féile an Phobail, and a founder of the city's St Patrick's Day Parade.

In 2000 President Mary McAleese presented Caitríona with the Aisling Person of the Year Award.

More recently, Caitríona has been chairperson of the 'Bring Them Home' campaign.

Councillor Willie Clarke

Willie Clarke is married to Paula, who has recently given birth to their daughter Tara. He was elected to serve on Down District Council in 2001 when he topped the poll. He is currently employed by an environmental/conservation organisation, which is working to preserve the natural beauty of the Mourne Mountains, and also sits on the project board of Down District Council. Recently he has spearheaded a local community initiative to tackle the rise in drug abuse in Newcastle.

Upper Bann

Dr Dara O'Hagan MLA

Dara O'Hagan is from Lurgan and is a graduate of both the University of Ulster and Queen's University.

She is the Sinn Féin spokesperson on both the economy and equality. During the Assembly Dr O'Hagan was a member of the Assembly's influential Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee and several other committees. She is also one of the party's main spokespersons on the issue of Orange marches and has been to the forefront in demanding the end of the Orange Order siege of Garvaghy Road

Councillor John O'Dowd

Chair of Upper Bann Sinn Féin and a member of the party's Six County Executive, John is leader of the Sinn Féin group on Craigavon Council.

As well as acting as a Council Account Scrutineer, John is a member of the Policy and Resources Committee and several others. He is also active in community politics and is an advisor to the Community Association, and a school Governor.

West Belfast

Bairbre de Brún MLA

Bairbre de Brún is the Sinn Féin spokesperson on equality and human rights. She was the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and an Assembly member for West Belfast. Bairbre is a fluent Irish speaker and an expert in human rights and equality issues.

She is a member of the Ard Chomhairle and of the Sinn Féin negotiating team and was elected as a Sinn Féin Assembly member for West Belfast in 1998. She was recently selected as the party's candidate to contest next year's European Union elections

Councillor Sue Ramsey MLA

Sue Ramsey is a Sinn Féin member of Lisburn Council. Formerly Chairperson of West Belfast Sinn Féin, Sue also works in a range of community activities including the Twinbrook Festival Committee.

She was elected as Assembly member for West Belfast in 1998 and was a member of the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee. She is the party spokesperson on health and children's issues

Gerry Adams MP/MLA

Gerry Adams has been president of the Sinn Féin party since 1983 and was elected MP for West Belfast that same year. He was re-elected in 1988,1997 and again in 2001. In 1998 he was elected to the Assembly.

Gerry is centrally involved in the ongoing development of the party as a radical alternative in Irish society.

He has travelled internationally to advance the Peace Process particularly in the United States, Britain and South Africa. Gerry Adams has published several books. His most recent book is Hope and History - Making Peace in Ireland.

Councillor Fra McCann

As Six-County Chairperson of Sinn Féin, Fra has played a leading role in the growth and political development of the party over many years.

While secretary of the Divis Residents Association, Fra played a central role in the successful campaign for the demolition of Divis Flats.

Fra was elected to Belfast City Council in 1987 and has held a seat on the Council ever since, serving as Chairperson of the Council's Community and Leisure Services Committee.

Councillor Michael Ferguson

Married with four children Michael Ferguson graduated from Queens University in 1989 and was elected to Lisburn Council in 1999.

Michael represents Sinn Féin on the All-Ireland body charged with administering European funding and also represents the party on the Regional Strategic Partnership Board.

He is also well known as a founder member of the West Belfast Safer Streets Campaign Group. Michael has a personal interest in environmental and horticultural issues and has won a number of awards for environmental improvement schemes.

West Tyrone

Councillor Barry McElduff MLA

Barry McElduff is married to Paula and is from County Tyrone. He is a graduate of Queens University in Belfast and has a keen interest in the Irish language and culture. He was elected to the Assembly for West Tyrone in 1998 and was a member of several committees in the last Assembly including the Education Committee and the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee. He was also a member of the Irish British Inter-Parliamentary group. He is the party's spokesperson on culture, arts and leisure.

Pat Doherty MP/MLA

Pat Doherty is married to Mary and they have five children. He has been Sinn Féin Vice President since 1988.

He was elected as Assembly member for West Tyrone in the 1998 elections and was Chair of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment. In 2001 he was elected MP for West Tyrone. He is in charge of the party's Agriculture and Rural Development department.

Pat headed the Sinn Féin delegation to the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, organised by the Dublin government following the IRA cessation of August 1994 and has met with senior politicians in both Washington DC and Brussels seeking support for the Irish peace process.

Councillor Brian McMahon

A community and Irish language activist, Brian was jailed in Long Kesh in the 1970s. He was elected to Strabane District Council in 2001, when he received 75% of the first preference votes. Brian has built up a reputation as a dedicated and hard working councillor in the Strabane area.

Strangford

Dermot Kennedy

Dermot Kennedy has been a member of Sinn Féin for more than 25 years. He has worked in the Policy Development section of the party and was involved in drawing up Sinn Féin's Education Policy. His background is in education and he worked as a College Lecturer for nine years. He left the teaching profession to go into business.

Chairperson of Strangford Sinn Féin for the past two years, Dermot is eager to provide local nationalists with a credible voice to speak on their behalf in the Assembly.

He is also keen to reach out and to work alongside unionists and fellow nationalists within Strangford to build relationships across the community.


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