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Lynn Boylan

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Lynn Boylan
MEP
Boylan in 2024
Member of the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 July 2024
In office
1 July 2014 – 1 July 2019
ConstituencyDublin
Senator
In office
29 June 2020 – 17 July 2024
Succeeded byJoanne Collins
ConstituencyAgricultural Panel
Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Palestine
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 October 2024
Preceded byManu Pineda
Personal details
Born (1976-11-29) 29 November 1976 (age 49)
Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland
Party
Domestic partner
Eoin Ó Broin
EducationUniversity College Dublin
Websitelynnboylan.ie

Lynn Boylan (Irish: Lynn Ní Bhaoighealláin;[1] born 29 November 1976) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for Dublin since July 2024. She was previously an MEP for Dublin from 2014 to 2019.[2][3] From 2020 to 2024, she was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel.[4]

Early life

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Boylan was born in Dublin on 29 November 1976,[5] and grew up in the Kilnamanagh area of Tallaght.[6] Initially studying journalism and gaining a certificate, she went on to earn post-graduate qualifications from University College Dublin in Environmental Impact Assessment and European Environmental Conservation Management.[6]

Career

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Boylan in 2013

In 2005, Boylan moved to County Kerry while working as a coordinator for the Irish Wildlife Trust at Killarney National Park. That same year she joined Sinn Féin.

Under her Irish-language name, Lynn Ní Bhaoighealláin,[7] she stood at the 2007 general election as the Sinn Féin candidate in Kerry South.[8] With only 3.5% of the first-preference votes, she was eliminated on the first count.[8] At the 2009 Kerry County Council election, she stood for the local electoral area of Killarney, but was again unsuccessful.[7] She attributed her defeats to being an outsider: "As a Dub in Kerry the odds were stacked against me", she told The Irish Times in 2014.[7]

Boylan returned to Dublin in 2011 to work in Ballymun,[6] for the Global Action Plan, an environmental initiative funded by Ballymun Regeneration.[9] In 2010, she was appointed as chair of the advisory board of Safefood.[9]

MEP: 2014–2019

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In September 2013, Boylan was selected as the Sinn Féin candidate for Dublin at the 2014 European Parliament election.[10] She left her job, and as a candidate was paid a wage by Sinn Féin during the campaign.[7] Boylan began her campaign "practically anonymous", according to Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.[10] By April, Boylan was still described by the Irish Independent newspaper as a "political unknown".[11] In the election on 23 May, Boylan won 23.6% of the first preference vote, and was elected on the third count.[8]

Boylan was a campaigner for the release of Ibrahim Halawa,[12] an Irish citizen from Firhouse in South Dublin who was imprisoned in Egypt between 2013 and 2017 and was adopted by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience.[13][14] In March 2015, Boylan described Halawa as an "Irish-speaking, GAA-playing Dublin lad", and asked if the Irish Government would do more if his name was "Paddy Murphy".[15] In December 2015, Boylan sponsored a motion in the European Parliament calling for Halawa's release. She introduced his two sisters to the Parliament before the vote, which passed by over 560 votes to 11.[13]

She lost her seat at the 2019 European Parliament election.

Senator: 2020–2024

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In April 2020 Boylan was elected at the 2020 Seanad election to the 26th Seanad on the Agricultural Panel. She was the Sinn Féin candidate at the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election.[16] She was not elected, getting 4,245 first-preference votes (15.8%).[17]

MEP: 2024–present

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In December 2023, Boylan was selected to contest the 2024 European Parliament election, alongside Daithí Doolan.[18] On 11 June 2024, Boylan was elected to the European Parliament as MEP for Dublin, taking the third seat of four.[3] She took office on 17 July 2024.[19][20]

In 2025, the Israeli Interior Ministry barred Boylan and Rima Hassan, an MEP for France, from entering during a diplomatic EU mission to Jerusalem and Ramallah, leading to the cancellation of the trip.[21]

In 2026, at an EU Foreign Affairs Committee meeting Boylan inaccurately stated, "It is unfortunate that we can't use our own language in this committee", in reference to a perceived lack of Irish language translators.[22] When corrected that the European Union had provided Irish translators, Boylan resumed her speech in English, stating "we didn't know, sorry. So I'll continue in English because I wasn't prepared".[22]

Personal life

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Boylan is the partner of Eoin Ó Broin, who has been the Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid-West since 2016.[23] They live in Clondalkin, County Dublin.

References

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  1. ↑ "Animal Health and Welfare (Dogs) Bill 2022 - An Bille um Shláinte agus Leas Ainmhithe (Madraí), 2022" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. 12 May 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 November 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  2. ↑ McGee, Harry (26 May 2014). "Lynn Boylan is first MEP to be elected in Dublin". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Doherty, Andrews, Lynn Boylan and Ó Ríordáin elected MEPs". RTÉ News. 11 June 2024. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "Lynn Boylan". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "Lynn Boylan". European Parliament. 7 February 2026. Archived from the original on 14 March 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Moloney, Mark (2 January 2014). "Running for an all-Ireland team in Europe - Dublin EU candidate talks to An Phoblacht". An Phoblacht. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Lord, Miriam (22 May 2014). "The Sinn Féin candidate who is making a name for herself". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "Lynn Boylan". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  9. 1 2 O'Doherty, Caroline (22 May 2014). "Opposition finds Boylan's victory hard to swallow". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  10. 1 2 Clifford, Michael (22 May 2014). "Lynn Boylan: The new Mary Lou?". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  11. ↑ Drennan, John (27 April 2014). "'Cinderella girl' looks likely to claim capital as respectable face of Sinn Fein Nua". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  12. ↑ Brennan, Colin (2 June 2016). "Irishman Ibrahim Halawa reveals 'gruesome tortures' in Egyptian prison hell". Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  13. 1 2 "MEPs pass resolution seeking Halawa release". RTÉ News. 17 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "Free Ibrahim Halawa". Amnesty International. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  15. ↑ McGreevy, Ronan (27 March 2015). "Halawa family call for public support to get brother released". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  16. ↑ "Lynn Boylan nominated to stand as Sinn Féin candidate Dublin Bay South by-election". RTE News. 1 June 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "Dublin Bay South by-election". The Irish Times. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  18. ↑ Nolan, Darragh (2 December 2023). "Sinn Féin select two European election candidates for Dublin". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  19. ↑ Cunningham, Paul (17 June 2024). "The loopholes to avoiding four by-elections". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  20. ↑ "Business of Seanad". Seanad Debates. 302 (6). Houses of the Oireachtas. 17 July 2024. Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "EU delegation cancels trip to Jerusalem, West Bank after Israel banned 4 participants". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  22. 1 2 Thompson, David (15 July 2026). ""Sinn Fein MEP's Irish gaffe shows party wants to make political points by abusing Irish language" - TUV". Northern Ireland World. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  23. ↑ Holland, Kitty (27 February 2016). "Profile: Eoin Ó Broin (SF)". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
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