Rose Conway-Walsh

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-suffix = TD

| image = Rose Conway-Walsh (2024) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Conway-Walsh in 2024

| office = Teachta Dála

| term_start = February 2020

| term_end =

| constituency = Mayo

| office1 = Leader of Sinn Féin in the Seanad

| leader1 = {{ubl|Gerry Adams|Mary Lou McDonald}}

| term_start1 = 8 June 2016

| term_end1 = 9 February 2020

| predecessor1 = David Cullinane

| successor1 = Niall Ó Donnghaile

| office2 = Senator

| term_start2 = 8 June 2016

| term_end2 = 8 February 2020

| constituency2 = Agricultural Panel

| birth_name = Rose Conway

| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|50|2020|02|10|slash=y}}{{cite web|title=Election 2020: Rose Conway-Walsh (Sinn Féin)|work=Irish Times|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-2020-rose-conway-walsh-sinn-fein-1.4168713|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524030024/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-2020-rose-conway-walsh-sinn-fein-1.4168713|publication-date=10 February 2020|archive-date=24 May 2023}}

| birth_place = Ballycroy, County Mayo, Ireland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Sinn Féin

| spouse = {{marriage|Noel Walsh|2000}}

| children = 2

| education = Our Lady's, Belmullet

| alma_mater = NUI Galway

| website = {{URL|roseconwaywalsh.ie}}|

}}

Rose Conway-Walsh ({{nee|Conway}}; born 1969/1970) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo constituency since the 2020 general election. She previously served as a Leader of Sinn Féin in the Seanad and a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 2016 to 2020.{{cite news |title=Mayo results: Michael Ring and SF's Rose Conway-Walsh take first and second seats |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/mayo-results-michael-ring-and-sf-s-rose-conway-walsh-take-first-and-second-seats-1.4165505 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=9 February 2020 |access-date=9 February 2020 }}{{cite web |title=Rose Conway-Walsh |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25/ |work=Oireachtas Members Database |access-date=14 July 2019 |archive-date=24 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424140459/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25/ |url-status=live}}

Early life

Conway-Walsh grew up in Ballycroy, County Mayo and is one of nine children. She attended primary school in Ballycroy before attending Our Lady's Secondary School in Belmullet.{{cite web |title=Bringing it home in Mayo |url=https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/20277 |work=An Phoblacht |date=2 July 2009 |access-date=9 February 2020 |archive-date=3 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303092026/https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/20277 |url-status=live}} She moved to London when she was 19. On returning to Ireland, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in public management and a Master's degree in Local Government from NUI Galway.{{cite web |title=About |url=http://roseconwaywalsh.ie/about/ |website=Rose Conway-Walsh |access-date=9 February 2020 |archive-date=9 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209104628/http://roseconwaywalsh.ie/about/ |url-status=live}} Prior to entering politics, she worked in community development.{{Cite news |title=Election 2020: Rose Conway-Walsh (Sinn Féin) |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-2020-rose-conway-walsh-sinn-fein-1.4168713 |access-date=24 May 2023 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}

Political career

Conway-Walsh has been a member of Sinn Féin's Ard Comhairle since 1990. She founded the Sinn Féin Mayo Women's Movement in response to the lack of women in politics.{{cite journal |last=Gannon |first=Colm |date=23 January 2009 |title=It's time for politicians to be honest with people |url=https://advertiser.ie/mayo/article/7561/its-time-for-politicians-to-be-honest-with-people |url-status=live |journal=Mayo Advertiser |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303092013/https://advertiser.ie/mayo/article/7561/its-time-for-politicians-to-be-honest-with-people |archive-date=3 March 2020 |access-date=9 February 2020}}

In 2009, she was elected to Mayo County Council for the Belmullet local area, becoming the first female councillor ever elected in Belmullet. She was re-elected in 2014, topping the poll and being elected on the first count.{{Cite news |title=Mayo County Council |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/elections/local-elections/mayo |access-date=24 May 2023|newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}

She was elected to the Seanad in 2016, topping the poll in the Agricultural Panel and being deemed elected on the first count.{{Cite web |first=Colm |last=Gannon |date=April 26, 2016 |title=Swanick and Conway Walsh take Seanad seats |url=https://www.advertiser.ie/mayo/article/84349/swanick-and-conway-walsh-take-seanad-seats |access-date=24 May 2023|website=Mayo Advertiser}}

She was an unsuccessful candidate for the Mayo constituency at the 2011 and 2016 general elections,{{cite web |title=Rose Conway-Walsh |url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=6374 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128084803/https://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=6374 |archive-date=28 January 2021 |access-date=14 July 2019 |work=ElectionsIreland.org}} before winning election in 2020. Conway-Walsh is the first Sinn Féin TD to represent County Mayo in almost 100 years; the last Sinn Féin TD to be elected in Mayo was John Madden in June 1927.{{cite news |title=Historic day as Conway-Walsh is elected |url=https://www.con-telegraph.ie/election2020/roundup/articles/2020/02/09/4185516-historic-day-as-conwaywalsh-is-elected/ |work=The Connaught Telegraph |date=9 February 2020 |access-date=9 February 2020 |archive-date=3 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303092012/https://www.con-telegraph.ie/election2020/roundup/articles/2020/02/09/4185516-historic-day-as-conwaywalsh-is-elected/ |url-status=live}}

In July 2021 she attracted criticism for comparing segregated reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic to the segregation of the American South and the struggle of Rosa Parks, for which she later apologised.{{Cite web|title=Sinn Féin TD apologises for using Rosa Parks during indoor dining debate|url=https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/sinn-fein-td-apologises-for-using-rosa-parks-during-indoor-dining-debate-1158432.html|access-date=16 July 2021|website=BreakingNews.ie|date=15 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=16 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716001720/https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/sinn-fein-td-apologises-for-using-rosa-parks-during-indoor-dining-debate-1158432.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=Sinn Féin TD apologises for comparing indoor dining policy to segregation in the US |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/sinn-fein-td-apologises-for-comparing-indoor-dining-policy-to-segregation-in-the-us-40657448.html |website=Irish Independent |date=15 July 2021 |language=en-IE |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716001718/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/sinn-fein-td-apologises-for-comparing-indoor-dining-policy-to-segregation-in-the-us-40657448.html |url-status=live}}

She is the party's spokesperson on Higher Education, Innovation, and Science.

At the 2024 general election, Conway-Walsh was re-elected to the Dáil.