Claire Kerrane (born 24 April 1992) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Roscommon–Galway constituency since the 2020 general election.[1]

Claire Kerrane
Kerrane in 2024
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2020
ConstituencyRoscommon–Galway
Personal details
Born (1992-04-24) 24 April 1992 (age 32)
Frenchpark, County Roscommon, Ireland
Political partySinn Féin
Alma materNUI Galway

She is a member of the Sinn Féin Ard chomhairle.[citation needed] She is the party's spokesperson on children and youth [2]

Early and personal life

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Kerrane is from the village of Tibohine in County Roscommon. She was raised on a farm. She has said there was no history of republicanism in her family: her mother is English and her paternal grandfather was a "staunch Fine Gael activist". She joined Sinn Féin during a dispute over plans to build an anaerobic digestion plant in her area, when she became involved in an action group against the project.[3]

In 2016 Kerrane qualified as a secondary school teacher.[3]

Political Career

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Kerrane joined Ógra Shinn Féin at the age of 15 and was a Sinn Féin organiser at NUI Galway (NUIG) during her time as a university student there studying English, Sociology and Politics.[2][3] She was still a student at NUIG when she became a parliamentary assistant to independent TD Luke 'Ming' Flanagan on his election to the Dáil at the 2011 general election.[2] Later she became a political adviser on social protection for Sinn Féin in Leinster House. Flanagan endorsed her as a candidate at the 2020 general election.[4]

Kerrane retained her seat at the 2024 general election.

References

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  1. ^ "Claire Kerrane". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Young Blood: Claire Kerrane". The Phoenix. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Healy, Paul (August 2019). "On a Claire Day". Roscommon People Plus. pp. 50–53. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Claire Kerrane". Sinn Féin. Archived from the original on 9 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
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