John O'Dowd

John Fitzgerald O'Dowd (born 10 May 1967) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He was the Minister for Education in the Stormont Executive from 2011 to 2016 and the Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann since 2003. He briefly took on the duties of deputy First Minister in 2011 while Martin McGuinness ran in the 2011 Irish presidential election.

John O'Dowd
Minister for Education
In office 16 May 2011 – 25 May 2016
First Minister	Peter Robinson Arlene Foster
Deputy First Minister	Martin McGuinness
Preceded by	Caitríona Ruane
Succeeded by	Peter Weir
Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Acting
In office 20 September 2011 – 31 October 2011 Serving with Peter Robinson
Preceded by	Martin McGuinness
Succeeded by	Martin McGuinness
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Upper Bann
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 November 2003
Preceded by	Dara O'Hagan
Personal details
Born	John Fitzgerald O'Dowd 10 May 1967 Tullylish, County Down, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Sinn Féin
Spouse(s)	Mary O'Dowd
Children	3
Occupation	Politician

Early career

O'Dowd was born in 1967 in Tullylish, a rural community between Lurgan and Banbridge.[1] He had trained as a chef before engaging in politics.[2] He began his political career serving for 14 years as a councillor on Craigavon Borough Council and previously served as a school governor.[3] O'Dowd has served as Chair of Upper Bann Sinn Féin and a member of the party's Six County Executive, O'Dowd was leader of the Sinn Féin group on Craigavon Council.[3] In 2003 he was elected as MLA for Upper Bann and in 2005 unsuccessfully contested the same-named Westminster constituency. Between 2007 and 2011 he was Sinn Féin group leader in the Assembly and served as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee before becoming a member of the Education Committee in 2008.[1]

Acting deputy First Minister

Following the decision by Sinn Féin to nominate Martin McGuinness as its candidate in the 2011 Irish presidential election, it was announced on 16 September 2011 that O'Dowd would be fulfil the duties of deputy First Minister on a temporary basis.[4]

Personal life

O'Dowd is married and has three children.[1]

References

1. "Minister for Education". Department for Education, Northern Ireland. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
2. "Remarkable year for new deputy first minister John O'Dowd". BBC.
3. "Upper Bann – John O'Dowd | Sinn Féin". Sinn Féin.
4. John O'Dowd. "UTV News – O'Dowd ready for acting DFM role". UTV. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012.