Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (born 31 July 1964) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South Central constituency since May 2002,^[1] and is party spokesperson for Housing, Justice, Equality and Human Rights, and International Affairs.

Early and private life

A Dubliner and Irish language speaker, he attended school at Scoil Lorcáin and Coláiste Eoin, before studying at University College Dublin (UCD). Ó Snodaigh joined Sinn Féin while at university, where he was active in student politics, in 1983. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in History and Geography, and a Higher Diploma in Education. Having secured his teaching qualifications, 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 the 1798 Rebellion and several pamphlets 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. 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 the sculptor Clioḋna Cussen from Newcastlewest, County Limerick. He is married to Aisling Ní Dhálaigh they live in Bluebell with his 3 children.

Political career

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2002 general election, having contested a Dáil election in 1987 first and a by-election in the Dublin South Central constituency in 1999.^[2] He is currently the Sinn Féin Chief Whip in the Dáil and is spokesperson on Housing, 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 Treaty of Nice. He was a member of the Dáil Committee on Procedures and Privileges and the Committee on European Affairs in the 29th Dáil. He was re-elected at the 2007 general election for the second time to the Dáil. He has been a member of the Sinn Féin national executive, the Ard Chomhairle, for many years, and has been on the Dublin executive of the party since 1985 and was part of the party's negotiations team during the Northern Ireland peace process.

In October 2002, five men in Snodaigh's constituency^[3] were arrested after discovery of a van in County Wicklow containing a sledgehammer, a black balaclava, a pickaxe handle, two-way radios, and a fluorescent jacket with the word "Garda" on it, along with election posters reading 'Sinn Féin No 1 Aengus Ó Snodaigh'. In a nearby Nissan Almera (with false numberplates) they found a blue flashing beacon, a stun gun, a canister of CS gas and a roll of masking tape.^[4][5][6]

Support for Palestine

Ó Snodaigh is a known supporter of Palestine and has been highly critical of the actions of Israel. During the 2009 Gaza–Israel conflict Ó Snodaigh claimed that Alan Shatter, a Jewish TD, and the Israeli ambassador to Ireland had exposed the Oireachtas committee on Foreign Affairs to "propaganda, twisted logic and half truths". He also said that Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, would have been proud of it.^[7] On 30 May 2010, he was one of three Irish politicians who were prevented from leaving Cyprus by authorities to join an international flotilla carrying aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.^[8] In March 2011, Ó Snodaigh is setting off on another flotilla to Gaza. His shipmates will include former TD and member of Fianna Fáil Chris Andrews.^[9]

References

External links

• Aengus Ó Snodaigh's page on the Sinn Féin website