Carál Ní Chuilín facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carál Ní Chuilín
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| Principal Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly | |
| Assumed office 6 February 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Christopher Stalford |
| Minister for Communities | |
| In office 15 June 2020 – 16 December 2020 |
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| First Minister | Arlene Foster |
| Preceded by | Deirdre Hargey |
| Succeeded by | Deirdre Hargey |
| Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure | |
| In office 5 May 2011 – 6 May 2016 |
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| First Minister | Peter Robinson Arlene Foster |
| Preceded by | Nelson McCausland |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast North |
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| Assumed office 7 March 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Kathy Stanton |
| Member of Belfast City Council |
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| In office 5 May 2005 – 7 March 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Eoin O'Broin |
| Succeeded by | Conor Maskey |
| Constituency | Oldpark |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Caroline Cullen
18 December 1964 New Lodge, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Spouse | Gerard Magee |
| Residences | New Lodge, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Alma mater | Open University Queen's University Belfast |
| Website | Carál Ní Chuilín MLA |
Carál Ní Chuilín (born 18 December 1964), also known as Caroline Cullen, is an Irish politician from the Sinn Féin party. She currently serves as the Principal Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2024. She has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast North since 2007. She has also served as a government minister in Northern Ireland.
Contents
About Carál Ní Chuilín
Early Life and Education
Carál Ní Chuilín was born and grew up in the New Lodge area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. She went to the Open University and earned a degree in Social Studies in 1994. Later, she continued her studies at Queen's University Belfast, where she completed a master's degree in Management.
Starting in Politics
Before becoming a politician, Carál Ní Chuilín worked for ten years helping people who had been in prison to get back on their feet. She also helped start an organization called Coiste na nIarchimí in 1999, which supported former prisoners.
She became very active with the Sinn Féin party. From 2005 to 2007, she represented the Oldpark area on the Belfast City Council. This was her first step into elected public service.
Working in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Becoming an MLA
In 2007, Carál Ní Chuilín was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a member for North Belfast. An MLA stands for Member of the Legislative Assembly, which is like a representative who helps make laws and decisions for Northern Ireland. She was re-elected in 2011.
Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
On 17 May 2011, Carál Ní Chuilín was chosen by the Assembly to become the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure. In this important role, she was in charge of things like sports, arts, and heritage in Northern Ireland.
- Supporting Sports: As Minister, she became the first senior Sinn Féin representative to attend a football match involving the Northern Ireland team. This happened when they played against the Faroe Islands in August 2011. She praised the efforts of the IFA to stop bad behavior at matches. In August 2012, she announced a £3 million plan to improve boxing facilities across Northern Ireland. She said this investment would help boxing clubs have better places for training.
- Promoting the Irish Language: In September 2011, her department started a project called Líofa 2015. The goal of this project was to encourage people in Northern Ireland to learn, teach, and speak the Irish language. Many people took part, including police officers, who wanted to become good at speaking Irish by 2015.
Minister for Communities
Later, on 15 June 2020, Carál Ní Chuilín was appointed as the Minister for Communities. She took on this role temporarily to help out when the previous minister, Deirdre Hargey, was unwell. She served in this position until December 2020.
Principal Deputy Speaker
Since February 2024, Carál Ní Chuilín has been serving as the Principal Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly. This means she helps the Speaker manage debates and keep order in the Assembly.
