Pauline O'Reilly

Pauline O'Reilly
O'Reilly in 2020
Senator
In office 29 June 2020 – 31 January 2025
Constituency	Labour Panel
Chair of the Green Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 December 2021
Personal details
Born	1974/1975 (age 49–50)[1] Galway, Ireland
Political party	Green Party
Spouse	Conor O'Donovan
Children	2
Alma mater	University College Dublin Law Society of Ireland

Pauline O'Reilly (born 1974/1975) is an Irish Green Party politician who served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from June 2020 to January 2025,[2][3] and chair of the Green Party since December 2021.

Early life and education

O'Reilly is a qualified solicitor. She is chair of the Galway Steiner National School.

Political career

O'Reilly was elected to Galway City Council at the 2019 local elections.[4]

O'Reilly stood unsuccessfully in Galway West at the 2020 general election. She won 6% of first preference votes and finished ninth in the five seat constituency.[5][6]

She was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2020 as a senator for the Labour Panel.[7] She is the Green Party spokesperson for Education and Higher Education.[8] She is the leader of the Green Party in the Seanad. [9]

On 24 March 2021, O'Reilly was one of three Green Party senators to table a motion of no confidence against party chair Hazel Chu, after Chu announced her candidacy in a Seanad by-election as an independent, with O'Reilly stating she does not believe it's appropriate "to run as an independent candidate and also to be a chair of a party that’s in government and is supporting government candidates".[10]

On 16 December 2021, O'Reilly was elected as Chair of the Irish Green Party, succeeding Chu.[11] O'Reilly was re-elected to the position of party chair on 26 November 2023.[12]

O'Reilly was the Green Party's candidate for the Midlands–North-West constituency at the 2024 European Parliament election.[12] O'Reilly received 13,710 (2.0%) first preference votes but was not elected.[13]

Personal life

O'Reilly has two children and practices unschooling with them.[14][15] Her husband works from home.[16]

References

1. "Green Party Candidate Pauline O'Reilly". 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023.
2. "Pauline O'Reilly". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
3. McMorrow, Conor (4 May 2019). "Why the Local Elections matter". RTÉ News. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
4. "O'Reilly sets out priorities for Election 2020 campaign". advertiser.ie. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
5. "Pauline O'Reilly to run for Greens in Galway West". advertiser.ie. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
6. "Party unstuck by a green wave of a different hue". Connacht Tribune. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
7. "Seanad elections: Traveller candidate narrowly loses out on election". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
8. "The new Green councillors you have never heard of before". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
9. "Green Party Spokespeople". Green Party. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
10. McQuinn, Cormac (25 March 2021). "Eamon Ryan 'tells Greens' no pact on supporting Coalition candidates for Seanad". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
11. Sassone, Erika (16 December 2021). "Galway Senator elected Green Party chair and hopes to double party council seats". Galway Beo. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
12. "Senator Pauline O'Reilly re-elected as Green Party Cathaoirleach". greenparty.ie. Green Party (Ireland). 26 November 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
13. "European Elections: Midlands North-West". RTÉ News. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
14. "Pauline O'Reilly". Green Party. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
15. "Unschooling in Galway – one family on its experience of teaching at home". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
16. "Books, maps and lots of Lego: how to furnish your home school". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.

External links

• Pauline O'Reilly's page on the Green Party website