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Ciarán Cannon

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Ciarán Cannon
Cannon in 2018
Minister of State
2017–2020Foreign Affairs and Trade
2011–2014Education and Skills
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2011 – November 2024
ConstituencyGalway East
Senator
In office
13 September 2007 – 25 February 2011
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
Leader of the Progressive Democrats
In office
17 April 2008 – March 2009
Preceded byMary Harney
Succeeded byOffice Abolished
Personal details
Born (1965-09-19) 19 September 1965 (age 59)
Galway, Ireland
Political partyFine Gael
Spouse
Niamh Lawless
​
(m. 1990)​
Children1
Alma materTrinity College Dublin

Ciarán Cannon (born 19 September 1965) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway East constituency from 2011 to 2024. He previously served as a senator for the Progressive Democrats and was the last elected leader of that party. He served as a Minister of State from 2011 to 2014 and again from 2017 to 2020. He served as a Senator from 2007 to 2011, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.[1][2]

Before entering politics, he was a planning official for Galway City Council and Dublin City Council, as well as CEO and secretary of the Irish Pilgrimage Trust.[3] In 2002, he was honoured as one of the Galway People of the Year.[4]

Political career

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Progressive Democrats

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As a member of the Progressive Democrats, Cannon was elected to Galway County Council in 2004, to represent the Loughrea local electoral area, with 1,307 first preferences. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2007 general election in Galway East.[5] He was nominated by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to the 23rd Seanad in 2007.

Cannon was elected as Leader of the Progressive Democrats in April 2008.[6] He was the first leader of the party to sit as a Senator while serving as leader. At his first press conference as party leader, he stated that he believed "there was passion, commitment, talent and knowledge within the PDs' ranks to stage a big comeback".[7]

However, after speculation increased that Noel Grealish, one of the two Progressive Democrat TDs, intended to leave the party, Cannon announced in September 2008 that a party conference would be held on 8 November 2008, at which he would recommend that the party disband.[8] The delegates present at the conference voted by 201–161 to agree with this recommendation.[9]

Fine Gael

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On 24 March 2009, Cannon announced his decision to resign the leadership of the PDs and joined Fine Gael the same day.[10] At the 2011 general election, he was one of two Fine Gael TDs elected in Galway East.

On 10 March 2011, he was appointed by the coalition government led by Enda Kenny as Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills with responsibility for Training and Skills.[11][12] He was dropped as a minister in a reshuffle on 15 July 2014.[13] At the 2016 general election, he was elected to the third seat in Galway East.

On 20 June 2017, he was appointed by the minority government led by Leo Varadkar as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with responsibility for the Diaspora and International Development.[14]

He called for a "No" vote in the 2018 referendum to allow legislation on abortion.[15]

In 2019, in recognition of his work in education, Cannon was appointed as a UNICEF global champion for education. He is one of seven Generation Unlimited Champions who will advocate worldwide for the development of UNICEF's Gen U programme.[16]

At the 2020 general election, he was elected to the second seat in Galway East. He continued to serve as a minister of state until the formation of a new government on 27 June 2020.

On 19 March 2024, Cannon announced that he would not contest the next general election, blaming a "toxicity in politics".[17]

Personal life

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Cannon is a musician and songwriter, and recently collaborated with Irish folk singer Seán Keane and others on songwriting projects. One of Cannon's co-compositions, "Nature's Little Symphony", was performed in Dublin by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as part of the national Cruinniú celebrations on Easter Monday 2017. Both "Nature’s Little Symphony" and another of his compositions "Gratitude" featured on the album "Gratitude" recorded by Seán Keane and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in 2018. On the 10 August 2018, Cannon played piano with Seán Keane and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as part of a sold-out performance at the National Concert Hall. In 2019, he composed "An Túr", a short piano instrumental to celebrate the birthday of W. B. Yeats.[18] [19]

In 2021 he was commissioned to compose the soundtrack to a poem by Emily Cullen as part of the national commemoration of the signing of the Anglo-Irish treaty in 1921.[20]

In March 2024 he began presenting The Grey Lake Cafe, a radio show on Loughrea Community Radio featuring his own musical choices, and interviews with public figures who have a passion for music.[21]

Cannon is also an avid cyclist and cycling safety advocate.[22] He specialises in endurance cycling challenges and on 19 June 2021 he cycled Ireland end to end, a distance of 575 km, in 23 hours and 23 minutes, to raise money for charity.[23]

On 2 July 2021 he was involved in a road traffic collision and suffered serious injuries. On 2 July 2022 he marked the first anniversary of the incident by cycling 500 km around the border of County Galway.[24][25]

Marking the same date in 2023, he cycled 935 km (581 mi) in 56 hours, covering all 32 counties of the island of Ireland while fundraising for Hand In Hand, a charity that supports families challenged by childhood cancer.[26]

References

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  1. ^ "Ciarán Cannon appointed Minister of State". GalwayNews.ie. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  2. ^ "Ciarán Cannon". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  3. ^ "Profile: new leader Ciarán Cannon". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Profile: Ciarán Cannon (FG)". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Ciarán Cannon". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  6. ^ "Cannon elected leader of the Progressive Democrats". The Irish Times. 17 April 2008. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  7. ^ "Local elections crucial for PDs - Cannon". RTÉ News. 17 April 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  8. ^ "PD Conference to decide party's future". RTÉ News. 16 September 2008. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
  9. ^ "PDs vote to wind up political party". RTÉ News. 8 November 2008. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  10. ^ "Cannon formally joins Fine Gael". RTÉ News. 24 March 2009. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  11. ^ "Appointment of Ministers and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (31st Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 15 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  12. ^ Education and Skills (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 379 of 2011). Signed on 31 May 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 7 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (31st Dáil)". Oireachtas. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (32nd Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 20 June 2017. Archived from the original on 23 December 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  15. ^ Bardon, Sarah. "Cross-party group of politicians calls for No vote in referendum". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Cannon appointed UNICEF global champion for education". 15 April 2019. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  17. ^ "Fine Gael's Ciarán Cannon not contesting next general election over 'toxicity in politics'". RTÉ News. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  18. ^ Cannon, Ciaran (10 June 2019). "When You Are Old - WB Yeats". Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2019 – via Vimeo.
  19. ^ Staff Writer. "Diaspora Minister To Perform With Sean Keane & RTE Concert Orchestra". Hotpress. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  20. ^ "Bridget's Hope: A Dialogue Through Poetry and Music". YouTube. 31 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Moving music to the edge of town". Galway Advertiser. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Bondings: Keane to make music". Independent.ie. 21 December 2015. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  23. ^ Lord, Miriam (26 June 2021). "Happy house-hunters Leo and Matt go upwardly mobile". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  24. ^ Meagher, John (8 July 2022). "Ciarán Cannon's comeback: 'I was deeply fearful I would never be able to cycle again after the accident'". Independent.ie.
  25. ^ Coyle, Colin (18 October 2023). "Ciarán Cannon sues motorist in High Court after being knocked off bike in Galway". The Irish Times.
  26. ^ "Galway TD to embark on 900km cycling challenge". RTÉ News. 30 June 2023.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Progressive Democrats
2008–2009 		Succeeded by
Noel Grealish
(Interim)
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