Bairbre de Brún facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bairbre de Brún
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| Member of the European Parliament for Northern Ireland |
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| In office 13 June 2004 – 3 May 2012 |
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| Preceded by | John Hume |
| Succeeded by | Martina Anderson |
| Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety | |
| In office 1999–2002 |
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| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Michael McGimpsey |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for West Belfast |
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| In office 25 June 1998 – 13 June 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Sue Ramsey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 January 1954 Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Profession | Politician, teacher |
Bairbre de Brún (born 10 January 1954) is an Irish politician. She was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Northern Ireland. She served from 2004 to 2012. Before that, she was a minister in Northern Ireland. She is a member of the Sinn Féin political party.
Contents
Bairbre de Brún's Political Journey
Early Steps in Politics
Bairbre de Brún was born in Dublin, Ireland, on January 10, 1954. She started her political work in the late 1970s. She focused on human rights and how people were treated.
She became an early member of Sinn Féin's High Council. In 1998, she became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). She represented West Belfast in the Northern Ireland Assembly. She also served as the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
A Teacher in Politics
Before becoming a full-time politician, Bairbre de Brún was a teacher. She taught in schools where lessons were given in the Irish language. These schools were in west Belfast. She also taught French and German. She is known for her strong support of the Irish language.
She has lived in the Andersonstown area of Belfast since the 1980s. She speaks Irish very well. She is also an expert on human rights and fairness for everyone. Bairbre de Brún was part of the Sinn Féin team that worked for peace in Ireland. She traveled to many countries to share ideas about the Irish peace process.
Representing Northern Ireland in Europe
In 2004, Bairbre de Brún was elected as an MEP. This means she became a Member of the European Parliament. She was one of two Sinn Féin MEPs. She was the first Sinn Féin politician to represent Northern Ireland in the European Parliament.
She worked with a group called the European United Left - Nordic Green Left. In the 2009 European elections, she received the most votes in Northern Ireland. This was a big achievement for a nationalist or republican party.
Supporting the Irish Language in Europe
Bairbre de Brún was a strong supporter of the Irish language. She wanted to see it used more around the world. She was one of the few MEPs who used Irish as her main language. She rarely gave speeches in English in the European Parliament.
Focusing on the Environment
In the European Parliament, she was part of the Regional Policy Committee. She also helped with the Environment Committee. She spent a lot of time working on environmental issues.
She joined an EU group that went to the 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference. This meeting was about climate change. She felt that the results of the conference were not enough. She said, "We need to recognise that even the best possible outcome from Durban still only takes us half way down the road we need to travel."
Leaving the European Parliament
Bairbre de Brún left the European Parliament in May 2012. She said it was for "personal reasons." However, she planned to stay active in her political party. Martina Anderson took her place as an MEP.
