Nationality Irish Parents Peter Barry Succeeded by Michael Ahern Spouse Conor Clune | Preceded by Sean Martin Role Teachta Dala Name Deirdre Clune Grandparents Anthony Barry | |
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Office Member of Dail Eireann since 2007 Profiles | ||
Deirdre clune for europe
Deirdre Mary Clune (née Barry; born 1 June 1959) is an Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland. She is a member of Fine Gael, part of the European People's Party. She previously served as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 2011 to 2014, a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork South–Central constituency from 1997 to 2002 and 2007 to 2011 and Lord Mayor of Cork from 2005 to 2006.
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Early life
Clune was educated at Ursuline Convent Cork, and qualified as a Civil and Environmental Engineer from University College Cork and Trinity College, Dublin.
Political career
Clune was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1997 general election succeeding her father, Peter Barry who was retiring. Her grandfather Anthony Barry had also been a TD, making her a third generation member of the Dáil. In the Dáil, she was appointed Fine Gael front bench spokesperson on Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands in June 2000 and spokesperson on Environmental and Consumer Affairs from February 2001.
She lost her seat at the 2002 general election. She also contested the 2002 elections to the 22nd Seanad on the Industrial and Commercial Panel, but was unsuccessful.
She was a member of Cork City Council and became the 68th Lord Mayor of Cork on 27 June 2005.
Clune regained her Dáil seat at the 2007 general election. She was party deputy spokesperson on Enterprise with special responsibility for Innovation from 2007 to 2010. In July 2010, she was appointed as party spokesperson on Innovation and Research.
She lost her seat at the 2011 general election to party colleague Jerry Buttimer. She was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann on the Cultural and Educational Panel in April 2011, where she served as Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson on Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation.
At the 2014 European Parliament election, she was elected for the South constituency.