John O'Donnell | |
---|---|
Donegal County Councillor | |
In office 2014–2024 | |
Constituency | Letterkenny |
Personal details | |
Born | between December 1980 and July 1981 |
Political party | Independent |
Residence | Kilmacrennan [1] |
Profession | Businessman and developer |
John O'Donnell (born between December 1980 and July 1981) [2] is an Irish politician,businessman and self-described developer,populist and realist. [2] He was a member of Donegal County Council from 2014 until 2024,representing the Milford Electoral Area.
O'Donnell's father Eddie was also a county councillor. [3] Eddie O'Donnell was killed in a car accident in 1993. [3] John O'Donnell first stood as a candidate at the 2014 Donegal County Council election. [4] With ten seats available,O'Donnell finished in third position –behind Ciaran Brogan and ahead of Ian McGarvey (both electoral veterans). [5] At the 2019 Donegal County Council election,he again finished a head of McGarvey. [6] O'Donnell ran as a candidate in the Donegal constituency at the 2020 general election,finishing in seventh place behind Pat "the Cope" Gallagher in the five-seat constituency,and ahead of fellow independent candidate and former presidential hopeful Peter Casey. [7]
O'Donnell lost his seat at the 2024 Donegal County Council election.
O'Donnell was one of three politicians secretly filmed for Standards in Public Office ,which aired on RTÉOne straight after the Nine O'Clock News on 8 December 2015. For the purposes of its programme,RTÉestablished an imaginary company it named Vinst Opportunities,with imaginary investors searching for ways to set up wind farms without having to deal with any problems that might arise if the imaginary company and its imaginary investors sought planning permission. Discovering that –five times over the previous four years –companies belonging to him had come to the attention of Revenue for their use of unmarked diesel and under-declaring of income,RTÉcontacted O'Donnell and claimed he "did not hesitate when asked to meet with the company". [2]
O'Donnell met with the imaginary representative of the imaginary company,who secretly filmed him offering to find either an established wind farm or land that could be bought,and that he would assist in lobbying his fellow members of Donegal County Council to support wind farms,which RTÉdescribed as "extremely controversial in many rural areas". [2] O'Donnell told the imaginary company representative:"I am a developer myself. I am a businessman. I am not a negative person. I like to see things going forward,progress,like ... and eh ... there's some members of Donegal County Council who would be the completely opposite ... I have done it before on other stuff ... within the council,I would have probably –there's 37 [councilors] there,I would certainly have 25 to 30 that are always nearly with me ... you know what I mean ... Because they know I am a populist,like I use common sense ... I am a realist ... you know what I mean? Anything that I would be bringing forward normally,it stacks up." [2]
When the imaginary representative asked what the imaginary company would have to do for him to support it,O'Donnell said the company should pay a middle-man who would then pay him,while –O'Donnell said –"I will be working,I will be working for them tirelessly at the coal face within the council." [2] O'Donnell also expressed concerns that his involvement with the imaginary company would lead to a situation whereby "for me politically there would be a backlash. You know the way people are ... so many begrudgers out there,it's not even funny." [2]
In April 2018,the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) announced that O'Donnell would face an ethics hearing on 11 September as part of its response to the programme. [8] [9] In March 2019,the Commission announced it had found against O'Donnell,stating that he "conflated his roles as councilor and businessman and used his position as councilor in order to promote his private interests as a businessman" and breached the Local Government Act on three occasions,including not having "regard to and be guided by the Code of Conduct for Councillors". [10] [11]
On 4 July 2016,O'Donnell was arrested at New Line Road in Letterkenny. He appeared in court later that month on two counts of assaulting two men on 23 February 2015,one at a bus stop in Gortlee,Letterkenny,and the other at a kebab and pizza takeaway elsewhere in the town. [1] [12]
O'Donnell went on trial in December 2018. [13] The judge instructed the jury to find O'Donnell "not guilty" on the charge of assault at the takeaway. [12] He said the issue regarding the charge at the bus stop was not whether O'Donnell had struck the man but whether he was acting in self-defence. [12] The prosecution barrister said O'Donnell punched and kicked the man's face,fracturing his nasal bones and causing him to spend eight days in hospital and to require surgery. [12]
The Letterkenny Institute of Technology was an institute of technology,located in Letterkenny,Ireland.
Letterkenny,nicknamed the Cathedral Town,is a large town in County Donegal,Ireland,on the River Swilly in the north-west of Ulster. Along with the nearby city of Derry,Letterkenny is a regional economic gateway for the north-west of Ireland.
Joe McHugh son of ben mchughs brother of adin ross(born 16 July 1971) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs since September 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal constituency since 2016,and previously from 2007 to 2016 for the Donegal North-East constituency. He served as Minister for Education and Skills from 2018 to 2020 and as a Minister of State from 2014 to 2018,including as Government Chief Whip from 2017 to 2018. He was a Senator for the Administrative Panel from 2002 and 2007.
Donal John Lydon is an Irish psychologist and former politician. He was a Fianna Fáil member of Seanad Éireann from 1987 to 2007,elected on the Labour Panel.
Donegal County Council is the authority responsible for local government in County Donegal,Ireland. As a county council,it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community,roads and transportation,urban planning and development,amenity and culture,and environment. It has 37 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a chief executive,John McLaughlin. The county town is Lifford.
St Eunans GAA is a dual club which plays hurling and Gaelic football. Its home ground is O'Donnell Park in Letterkenny. It fields 35 teams,making it the biggest club in its county.
Letterkenny University Hospital is a general hospital at Letterkenny,County Donegal,Ireland. One of Ireland's busiest,the campus is divided by a main road heading on towards the North/West of Donegal on the N56 road (Ireland). A teaching hospital,it maintains links with the University of Galway,ATU Letterkenny and the Royal College of Surgeons.
Kilmacrennan,also Kilmacrenan,is a village,townland and civil parish in County Donegal,Ireland. The village population was 753,as of the 2016 census. The village's population has increased steadily over the last decade with many new housing developments catering,in particular,for an overspill population from Letterkenny. Kilmacrennan was historically the caput of its eponymous Barony of Kilmacrennan,of the eight Baronies of Donegal.
Letterkenny Regional Sports and Leisure Complex is a sports complex located in Letterkenny,County Donegal,Ireland. Located near O'Donnell Park,RTÉTelevision has broadcast live from the venue on several occasions.
Rockhill Barracks was an Irish Army barracks located in Letterkenny,County Donegal. The barracks was closed,in early 2009,as a result of the 2008 economic recession.
Ian McGarvey is a former association footballer and former politician. He was a member of Donegal County Council,representing the Letterkenny electoral area.
Ciaran Brogan is an Irish businessman and Fianna Fáil politician from County Donegal. He is a member of Donegal County Council,representing the Letterkenny Electoral Area,and was a member of Letterkenny Town Council. He topped the poll in elections in 2004 and 2009.
An election to all 37 seats on Donegal County Council took place on 23 May 2014 as part of the 2014 Irish local elections. County Donegal was divided into 5 local electoral areas to elect councillors for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). In addition,the town councils of Ballyshannon,Bundoran and Letterkenny were all abolished.
The Centre Party of Ireland,formerly Renua,is a fringe political party in Ireland. The party was launched on 13 March 2015,with former Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton as founding leader. Prior to its launch it had used the slogan Reboot Ireland. The name Renua was intended to suggest both the English Renew and the Irish RéNua "New Era". The party changed its name to the Centre Party of Ireland in 2023.
An election to all 37 seats on Donegal County Council took place on 24 May 2019 as part of the 2019 Irish local elections. County Donegal was divided into 7 local electoral areas (LEAs) to elect councillors for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).
Hughie McElvaney is an Irish businessman and former politician,who is involved with waste management firms across several jurisdictions,with a turnover valued at over €16 million per annum. He was a member of Monaghan County Council,elected originally for Fine Gael but then ran as an independent,representing the Ballybay-Clones Electoral Area since its establishment from the 2014 election onwards,however McElvaney did not run for re-election in the 2024 Monaghan County Council election
Joseph Queenan is an Irish politician. He is a member of the Sligo County Council,first elected for Fianna Fáil in 1999 and representing the Dromore Electoral Area from then until its dissolution and replacement by the newly merged Ballymote and Tubbercurry Electoral Areas ahead of 2014's election. Queenan was re-elected in 2014 representing the Ballymote-Tubbercurry electoral area.
Manus "Mandy" Kelly was an Irish rally driver,businessman,and Fianna Fáil politician from Glenswilly in County Donegal. He won the Donegal International Rally three consecutive times,in 2016,2017,and 2018. Elected in the 2019 local elections to serve on Donegal County Council,he died less than a month later,aged 41,while competing in the 2019 Donegal International Rally.
Niall O'Donnell is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for St Eunan's and the Donegal county team.
Mr O'Donnell lost his father, Eddie, a County Councillor - in a car accident in 1993... 'When we were out canvassing, John's father's name kept popping up. He will carry the legacy on'.