Role Politician Nationality Irish | Political party Fianna Fail Party Fianna Fail Name Malcolm Byrne | |
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Malcolm Byrne (born 25 April 1974) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Wexford County Councillor since 2009.
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Head of Communications with the Higher Education Authority, Byrne has been Vice-President of the National Youth Council of Ireland, the Union of Students in Ireland's former Education Officer and a former executive member of the European Students' Union. In 2014, he was named as one of the European 40 Under 40, in the European Young Leaders Programme.
The eldest child from a family of five, Byrne attended CBS Secondary and Loreto & CBS Primary Schools in Gorey, later studying law at University College Dublin. When first elected to Gorey Town Council at the first count in 1999, he was its youngest member at the age of 25. He topped the poll again at the 2004 election. He was first elected to Wexford County Council in 2009 and elected Chairman following his 2014 victory.
Byrne is openly gay. In January 2006, The Sun included his picture on the cover of its Irish edition beneath the headline "Bertie's FF Man in Gay Web Shame." The "Gay Web Shame" alleged by the tabloid proved on closer examination to simply be a profile on the dating website Gaydar. Byrne responded at the time: "I have not, nor have I ever, done anything illegal and I am not a hypocrite in any way. My views on gay rights issues are well known. I am not married with four children or anything like that, so there is no suggestion of hypocrisy." His family and political career suffered as a result and he was not selected for candidacy in the 2007 general election following this incident.
He was, however, chosen to run for Fianna Fáil in the 2016 general election in the Wexford constituency, although he failed to win a seat.
In his spare time, Byrne runs and is interested in theatre.