Jennifer McCann

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Jennifer McCann

|honorific-suffix =

|image = JenniferMcCann.jpg

|alt =

|caption =

| office = Junior Minister Assisting the Deputy First Minister

| 1blankname = Deputy FM

| 1namedata = Martin McGuinness

|term_start = 12 June 2012

|term_end = 25 June 2016

|alongside = Jonathan Bell, Michelle McIlveen and Emma Pengelly{{Ref label|aaa|a}}

|predecessor = Martina Anderson

|successor = Megan Fearon

|office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Belfast West

|assembly2 = Northern Ireland

|majority2 =

|term_start2 = 7 March 2007

|term_end2 = 6 December 2016

|predecessor2 = Diane Dodds

|successor2 = Órlaithí Flynn

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|03|01|df=y}} {{cite web|url=http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/details.aspx?&aff=2327&per=212&sel=1&ind=11&prv=1 |title= MLA Details |publisher=NI Assembly |access-date=6 October 2012}}

|birth_place = Twinbrook, Northern Ireland

|death_date =

|death_place =

|restingplace =

|birthname =

|nationality = Irish

|party = Sinn Féin

|otherparty =

|spouse = Rab Kerr

|relations =

|children = 3

|residence =

|alma_mater =

|occupation =

|profession =

|cabinet =

|committees =

|portfolio =

|signature =

|signature_alt=

|website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310090847/http://www.sinnfeinassembly.com/en/assembly-candidates/entry/15 Jennifer McCann MLA]

|footnotes = a. {{note|aaa}}Served alongside Emma Pengelly until 25 May 2016

}}

Jennifer McCann (born 1 March 1960) is an Irish republican former politician in Northern Ireland, who was elected in 2007 to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a Sinn Féin member for Belfast West. She resigned from the Assembly in December 2016.{{cite news|title=Sinn Fein's Jennifer McCann resigns as West Belfast MLA|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/sinn-feins-jennifer-mccann-resigns-as-west-belfast-mla-35222405.html|work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|

date=17 November 2016|publisher=Independent News and Media}}

Early life

McCann was born in the Twinbrook area of Belfast, and was friends with Bobby Sands and his sister Bernadette. She joined the republican movement as a schoolgirl, becoming a member of Cumann na mBan then joining the Provisional Irish Republican Army aged 17. McCann was arrested aged 20, after shooting a Royal Ulster Constabulary police officer, and subsequently sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment.

Political career

McCann was released from prison after serving just over ten years of her sentence, and began working for Sinn Féin in the POW Department and Women's Department. She is active on a number of projects in her community, including the Sally Gardens Community Centre Committee, the Safer Neighbourhoods Project, the Colin Community Festival, and the Falls Community Council's Community Drugs Programme.

Personal life

McCann is married to former IRA prisoner Rab Kerr, with whom she has three children.

References

Sources

[https://web.archive.org/web/20071120093550/http://www.tribune.ie/2007/03/11/83124.html Bobby Sands was a great role model – he was never arrogant] Sunday Tribune (archived), 12 November 2007
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110716153306/http://www.stratagem-ni.com/belfastwestmlas2007.php Northern Ireland Assembly West Belfast MLAs] Stratagem NI

{{succession box

| title = MLA for Belfast West

| before = Diane Dodds

| after = Órlaithí Flynn

| years = 2007–2016

}}

{{succession box

| title = Junior Minister

| before = Martina Anderson

| after = Megan Fearon

| years = 2012–2016}}

Category:1960 births