Aengus Ó Snodaigh

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Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Born	July 31, 1964 (age 42)
Political party	Sinn Féin

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (born July 31, 1964) is a politician in the Republic of Ireland. A Dubliner and a native Irish speaker he was schooled at Scoil Lorcáin and Coláiste Eoin, before studying in University College Dublin. He is a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála for Dublin South Central and was first elected at the 2002 general election. He is currently the Sinn Féin Chief Whip in Leinster House and is spokesperson on Gaeilge, Defence, Justice, Equality and International Affairs. He was previously the Sinn Féin representative on the National Forum on Europe and the party's spokesperson on the Nice Treaty. He is a member of the Dáil Committee on Procedures and Privileges and the Committee on European Affairs.

Ó Snodaigh joined Sinn Féin while at University College Dublin in the 1983 where he was active in student politics. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in History and Geography, and a Higher Diploma in Education. Having secured his teaching degree, he went on to teach at secondary level and as a literacy teacher in Dublin's inner city. He is also the editor of Fealsúnacht, Feall agus Fuil which is a collection of historical essays concentrating on 1798 and several phamplets on aspects of Irish republican history. He is a member of the board of the Ireland Institute, aimed at promoting discussion on Irish republicanism, culture and heritage which restored the Pearse brothers birthplace and original family home at 27 Pearse Street, Dublin, and joint editor of the Institute's journal, The Republic.

A Sinn Féin and community campaigner was first elected to Dáil in 2002, having contested an election in 1987 first and a by-election in the Dublin South-Central constituency in 1999. He has been a member of the Sinn Féin natioanl executive, the Ard Chomhairle, for many years, and has been on the Dublin executive of the party since 1985 and has been part of the party's negotiations team during the unfolding peace process.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh is the brother of the three Ó Snodaigh brothers in the band Kíla and is the son of the writer and publisher Pádraig Ó Snodaigh and artist Cliodhna Cussen.

[edit] Controversy

In 2004, an election worker for Mr Ó Snodaigh was convicted of IRA membership amid allegations of an IRA-spying operation in the Irish parliament [1]. Niall Binead was jailed after Gardaí discovered a document containing the names of up to 20 Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs and details of their movements [2].

In May of the same year his wife, Aisling Ní Dálaigh hit the headlines after she was fined €250 for a breach of the peace and drunkenness arising from her behaviour outside a Sinn Féin function at the Abbey Hotel in Dublin's Middle Abbey Street [3].

There was controversy again in 2005 after five members of the Provisional IRA Dublin Brigade men later convicted of IRA membership were found with copies of his campaign posters in a van together with fake gardaí uniforms, a stun gun and CS gas [4].