Pauline O'Reilly

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Pauline O'Reilly
Pauline O'Reilly and parents, 2020 (cropped).jpg
O'Reilly in 2020
Senator
In office
29 June 2020 –31 January 2025

Pauline O'Reilly (born 1974/1975) is an Irish Green Party politician who served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from June 2020 to January 2025, [2] [3] and was chair of the Green Party from December 2021 to May 2025. [4]

Contents

Early life and education

O'Reilly is a qualified solicitor. She is chair of the Galway Steiner National School.

Political career

O'Reilly was elected to Galway City Council at the 2019 local elections. [5]

O'Reilly stood unsuccessfully in Galway West at the 2020 general election. She won 6% of first preference votes and finished ninth in the five seat constituency. [6] [7]

She was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2020 as a senator for the Labour Panel. [8] She served as Green Party spokesperson for Education and Higher Education while in the Seanad. [9] She was the leader of the Green Party in the Seanad until December 2022. [10]

On 24 March 2021, O'Reilly was one of three Green Party senators to table a motion of no confidence against party chair Hazel Chu, after Chu announced her candidacy in a Seanad by-election as an independent, with O'Reilly stating she does not believe it's appropriate "to run as an independent candidate and also to be a chair of a party that’s in government and is supporting government candidates". [11] The motion was later withdrawn at the request of then deputy leader Catherine Martin and Chu was not sanctioned for her decision. [12]

On 16 December 2021, O'Reilly was elected as Chair of the Irish Green Party, succeeding Chu. [13] O'Reilly was re-elected to the position of party chair on 26 November 2023. [14] She was succeeded in that position by Dublin City Councillor Janet Horner in 2025. [15]

O'Reilly was the Green Party's candidate for the Midlands–North-West constituency at the 2024 European Parliament election. [14] O'Reilly received 13,710 (2.0%) first preference votes but was not elected. [16]

Personal life

O'Reilly has two children and practices unschooling with them. [17] [18] Her husband works from home. [19]

References

  1. ↑ "Green Party Candidate Pauline O'Reilly". 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "Pauline O'Reilly". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  3. ↑ McMorrow, Conor (4 May 2019). "Why the Local Elections matter". RTÉ News. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  4. ↑ McGreevy, Ronan (1 May 2025). "Roderic O'Gorman re-elected as Green Party leader". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  5. ↑ "O'Reilly sets out priorities for Election 2020 campaign". advertiser.ie. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  6. ↑ "Pauline O'Reilly to run for Greens in Galway West". advertiser.ie. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  7. ↑ "Party unstuck by a green wave of a different hue". Connacht Tribune. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "Seanad elections: Traveller candidate narrowly loses out on election". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "The new Green councillors you have never heard of before". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "Green Party Spokespeople". Green Party. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  11. ↑ McQuinn, Cormac (25 March 2021). "Eamon Ryan 'tells Greens' no pact on supporting Coalition candidates for Seanad". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  12. ↑ https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/hazel-chu-role-as-chair-of-green-party-executive-committee-ends-1.4756071
  13. ↑ Sassone, Erika (16 December 2021). "Galway Senator elected Green Party chair and hopes to double party council seats". Galway Beo. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Senator Pauline O'Reilly re-elected as Green Party Cathaoirleach". greenparty.ie. Green Party (Ireland). 26 November 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  15. ↑ McGreevy, Ronan (1 May 2025). "Roderic O'Gorman re-elected as Green Party leader". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  16. ↑ "European Elections: Midlands North-West". RTÉ News . Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  17. ↑ "Pauline O'Reilly". Green Party. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  18. ↑ "Unschooling in Galway – one family on its experience of teaching at home". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  19. ↑ "Books, maps and lots of Lego: how to furnish your home school". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
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