Michelle O'Neill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michelle O'Neill MLA
O'Neill in 2024
First Minister of Northern Ireland
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 February 2024 Serving with Emma Little-Pengelly
Preceded by	Paul Givan (2022)
Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
In office 11 January 2020 – 4 February 2022 Serving with Arlene Foster; Paul Givan
Preceded by	Martin McGuinness (2017)
Succeeded by	Emma Little-Pengelly (2024)
Vice President of Sinn Féin
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 February 2018
President	Mary Lou McDonald
Preceded by	Mary Lou McDonald
Cabinet offices and other roles 2005–2017 Minister of Health In office 25 May 2016 – 2 March 2017 First Minister Arlene Foster Preceded by Simon Hamilton Succeeded by Robin Swann Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development In office 5 May 2011 – 6 May 2016 First Minister Peter Robinson Arlene Foster Preceded by Michelle Gildernew Succeeded by Michelle McIlveen Member of the Legislative Assembly for Mid Ulster Incumbent Assumed office 7 March 2007 Preceded by Geraldine Dougan Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone In office June 2010 – June 2011 Preceded by Francie Molloy Succeeded by Kenneth Reid Member of Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council for Torrent In office 5 May 2005 – 5 May 2011 Preceded by Jim Canning Succeeded by Pádraig Quinn
Personal details
Born	Michelle Doris (1977-01-10) 10 January 1977 (age 48) Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland
Political party	Sinn Féin
Spouse	Paddy O'Neill ​ ​ (m. 1995; sep. 2014)​
Children	2
O'Neill left the role of dFM when Arlene Foster resigned as FM on 14 June 2021. She was reappointed dFM alongside FM Paul Givan on 17 June 2021.

Michelle O'Neill (born 10 January 1977) is an Irish politician. She became the First Minister of Northern Ireland in February 2024. She is also the Vice President of Sinn Féin since 2018.

Michelle O'Neill has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2007. She represents the area of Mid Ulster. Before becoming First Minister, she was the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2020 to 2022. She also served on the Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council from 2005 to 2011.

In 2010, she became the first female Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone. In 2011, she was appointed Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development. Later, in 2016, she became Minister of Health. In January 2020, she became deputy First Minister. This happened after an agreement called New Decade, New Approach helped restore the power-sharing government.

Michelle O'Neill became First Minister in February 2024. This was a historic moment. It was the first time an Irish nationalist held this important position in Northern Ireland.

Early Life & Education

Michelle O'Neill was born in Fermoy, a town in County Cork, Republic of Ireland. Her family comes from Clonoe, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Her father, Brendan Doris, was a Sinn Féin councillor.

She went to St. Patrick's Girls' Academy. This is a Catholic grammar school in Dungannon, Tyrone. After school, she started training to be an accounting technician. However, she soon decided to pursue a career in politics instead.

Political Journey

Starting in Politics

Michelle O'Neill became interested in politics when she was a teenager. She helped her father with his work as a councillor in Dungannon. She joined the Sinn Féin party in 1998, when she was 21 years old.

She worked as an advisor for Francie Molloy in the Northern Ireland Assembly. In 2005, she was elected to the Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council. She took over the seat that her father had left.

In 2007, O'Neill was elected as an MLA for Mid Ulster. She replaced her party colleague, Geraldine Dougan. While in the Assembly, she served on the education and health committees.

In 2010, she became the Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone. She was the first woman to hold this role. She was also one of the youngest people to become mayor. She held this position until 2011.

Serving as a Minister

O'Neill (far left) at the European Parliament in 2017

After the 2011 Assembly election, Michelle O'Neill became the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development. One of her important decisions was to move the department's main office. It moved from Belfast to Ballykelly. This was to spread government jobs to other areas.

In 2016, she became the Minister of Health. She replaced Simon Hamilton. In October 2016, O'Neill introduced a plan called Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together. This was a ten-year plan to improve the health system.

Becoming Vice President of Sinn Féin

O'Neill with deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in 2014

In January 2017, Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy First Minister. He did this because of a scandal. Michelle O'Neill was then chosen as Sinn Féin's new leader in Northern Ireland.

In the 2017 Assembly election, O'Neill was re-elected to the Assembly. She received the most votes in Mid Ulster. In March 2017, she suggested holding a referendum on the reunification of Ireland. She believed this should happen "as soon as possible" because of Brexit.

In February 2018, O'Neill became the Vice President of Sinn Féin. She took over from Mary Lou McDonald, who became the party's president. In November 2019, she faced a challenge for her leadership role. She won with 67% of the votes.

Serving as Deputy First Minister

In January 2020, Michelle O'Neill was appointed deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. She lost this position in June 2021 when Arlene Foster resigned. However, she got the role back three days later. She was reappointed alongside Paul Givan as First Minister.

In February 2022, O'Neill again lost her position as deputy First Minister. This happened when Paul Givan resigned as First Minister.

First Minister of Northern Ireland

O'Neill, as First Minister designate, meets with First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf in November 2023

O'Neill (second from left) with U.S. President Joe Biden in March 2024

Becoming First Minister (2022–2024)

After the 2022 Assembly election, Sinn Féin won the most seats. This meant Michelle O'Neill was set to become the First Minister. However, she did not take up the position until February 2024.

This was because the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) refused to nominate a deputy First Minister. They were against the Northern Ireland Protocol. This meant the government could not fully operate.

In August 2022, O'Neill was asked about past conflicts. She said that at the time, there was "no alternative" to certain actions. But now, she added, the Good Friday Agreement offers a peaceful way forward.

In September 2022, O'Neill attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. This was a break from some traditions. In May 2023, she also attended the coronation of King Charles III. She said she wanted to show respect and be a First Minister for everyone.

First Minister (2024–present)

On 30 January 2024, the Democratic Unionist Party announced they would return to power-sharing. This cleared the way for Michelle O'Neill. She was sworn in as First Minister of Northern Ireland on 3 February 2024.

This was a historic moment. She became the first Irish nationalist or Catholic to hold this position. In her acceptance speech, she pledged to represent everyone. She also showed respect to the royal family.

On 5 February, O'Neill met with important leaders. These included Rishi Sunak, Chris Heaton-Harris, and Leo Varadkar. A key topic was asking for more financial support for the Northern Ireland government.

In November 2024, O'Neill made history again. She became the first senior Sinn Féin figure to take part in an official Remembrance Sunday ceremony. She laid a wreath at the Belfast Cenotaph.

Personal Life

Michelle O'Neill became a mother at the age of 16. She completed her A-levels while still at her Catholic grammar school. She then trained as a welfare rights adviser.

She married Paddy O'Neill when she was 18. They had two children together. They separated in 2014. In 2023, Michelle O'Neill became a grandmother.

Electoral History

Northern Ireland Assembly elections

See also

In Spanish: Michelle O'Neill para niños