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Lynn BoylanMEP
Boylan in 2021
Member of the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 July 2024
In office 1 July 2014 – 1 July 2019
Constituency	Dublin
Senator
In office 29 June 2020 – 17 July 2024
Constituency	Agricultural Panel
Personal details
Born	(1976-11-29) 29 November 1976 (age 48) Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Ireland: Sinn Féin EU: The Left
Domestic partner	Eoin Ó Broin
Alma mater	University College Dublin
Website	lynnboylan.ie

Lynn Boylan (Irish: Lynn Ní Bhaoighealláin; born 29 November 1976) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Dublin constituency since July 2024. She was previously an MEP for Dublin from 2014 to 2019. From 2020 to 2024, she served as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel.

Early life

Boylan grew up in the Kilnamanagh area of Tallaght. Initially studying journalism and gaining a certificate, she went on to earn post-graduate qualifications from University College Dublin in Environmental Impact Assessment and European Environmental Conservation Management.

Early political career

In 2005, Boylan moved to County Kerry while working as a coordinator for the Irish Wildlife Trust at Killarney National Park. That same year she joined Sinn Féin.

Under her Irish-language name Lynn Ní Bhaoighealláin, she stood at the 2007 general election as the Sinn Féin candidate in the Kerry South constituency. With only 3.5% of the first-preference votes, she was eliminated on the first count. At the 2009 local elections, she stood for the Killarney local electoral area of Kerry County Council, but was again unsuccessful. She attributed her defeats to being an outsider: "As a Dub in Kerry the odds were stacked against me", she told The Irish Times in 2014.

Boylan returned to Dublin in 2011 to work in Ballymun, for the Global Action Plan, an environmental initiative funded by Ballymun Regeneration. In 2010, she was appointed as chair of the advisory board of Safefood.

In September 2013, Boylan was selected as the Sinn Féin candidate for the Dublin constituency at the 2014 European Parliament election. She then left her job, and as a candidate was paid a wage by Sinn Féin during the campaign.

Boylan began her campaign "practically anonymous", according to Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams. By April, Boylan was still described by the Irish Independent newspaper as a "political unknown". Instead of raising her media profile, Boylan's campaign concentrated on canvassing, mostly door-to-door rather than the busier shopping centres. Despite the lack of media exposure, by late May the polls showed Boylan in the lead. In the election on 23 May, Boylan won 23.6% of the first preference votes, and was elected on the third count. As the election count pointed towards Boylan's win, the Fianna Fáil candidate Mary Fitzpatrick asked: "Who could have said somebody would come from nowhere, no track record in Dublin, and still take the lead and steal the first seat and probably have a surplus?".

Member of the European Parliament

Boylan was a campaigner for the release of Ibrahim Halawa, an Irish citizen from Firhouse in South Dublin who was imprisoned in Egypt between 2013 and 2017 and was adopted by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience. In March 2015, Boylan described Halawa as an "Irish-speaking, GAA-playing Dublin lad", and asked if the Irish Government would do more if his name was "Paddy Murphy". In December 2015, Boylan sponsored a motion in the European Parliament calling Halawa's release. She introduced his two sisters to the Parliament before the vote, which passed by over 560 votes to 11.

She lost her seat at the 2019 European Parliament election.

In December 2023, it was announced that Boylan would run for the European Parliament again in 2024, alongside Daithí Doolan. On 11 June 2024, Boylan was elected to the European Parliament as MEP for Dublin, taking the third seat of four. She took office on 17 July 2024.

Senator

Boylan was elected to the Seanad in April 2020 as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel. She was the Sinn Féin candidate at the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election. She was not elected, getting 4,245 first-preference votes (15.8%).

Personal life

Boylan is the partner of Eoin Ó Broin, who has been the Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid-West since 2016. They live in Clondalkin, County Dublin.

References

1. McGee, Harry (26 May 2014). "Lynn Boylan is first MEP to be elected in Dublin". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
2. ^ "Doherty, Andrews, Lynn Boylan and Ó Ríordáin elected MEPs". RTÉ News. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
3. "Lynn Boylan". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
4. ^ Moloney, Mark (2 January 2014). "Running for an all-Ireland team in Europe - Dublin EU candidate talks to An Phoblacht". An Phoblacht. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
5. ^ Lord, Miriam (22 May 2014). "The Sinn Féin candidate who is making a name for herself". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
6. ^ "Lynn Boylan". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
7. ^ Caroline, O’Doherty (22 May 2014). "Opposition finds Boylan's victory hard to swallow". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
8. ^ Clifford, Michael (22 May 2014). "Lynn Boylan: The new Mary Lou?". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
9. Drennan, John (27 April 2014). "'Cinderella girl' looks likely to claim capital as respectable face of Sinn Fein Nua". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
10. Brennan, Colin (2 June 2016). "Irishman Ibrahim Halawa reveals 'gruesome tortures' in Egyptian prison hell". Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
11. ^ "MEPs pass resolution seeking Halawa release". RTÉ News. 17 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
12. "Free Ibrahim Halawa". Amnesty International. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
13. McGreevy, Ronan (27 March 2015). "Halawa family call for public support to get brother released". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
14. Nolan, Darragh (2 December 2023). "Sinn Féin select two European election candidates for Dublin". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
15. Cunningham, Paul (17 June 2024). "The loopholes to avoiding four by-elections". RTÉ News.
16. "Lynn Boylan nominated to stand as Sinn Féin candidate Dublin Bay South by-election". RTE News. 1 June 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
17. "Dublin Bay South by-election". The Irish Times. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
18. Holland, Kitty (27 February 2016). "Profile: Eoin Ó Broin (SF)". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.

External links

• Personal profile of Lynn Boylan in the European Parliament's database of members

• 1976 births
• Living people
• Alumni of University College Dublin
• Irish socialists
• Members of the 26th Seanad
• 21st-century women members of Seanad Éireann
• MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 2014–2019
• People from South Dublin (county)
• Sinn Féin MEPs
• Sinn Féin senators
• 21st-century women MEPs for the Republic of Ireland
• Sinn Féin candidates in Dáil elections (post-1923)
• Agricultural Panel senators
• MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 2024–2029