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SenatorNikki Bradley
Bradley in 2024
Senator
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 July 2024
Constituency	Nominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born	(1986-01-23) 23 January 1986 (age 38) County Donegal, Ireland
Political party	Fine Gael

Nikki Bradley (born 23 January 1986) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a senator in Seanad Éireann since July 2024. She is also a disability rights advocate and a motivational speaker.

Disability work

Bradley is from Milford, County Donegal. Diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in 2002, at age 16, she has used crutches since 2013, following two hip replacements. Since 2013, she has undertaken a variety of physical-fitness challenges, such as climbing four mountains (Carrauntoohil, Croagh Patrick, Slieve Donard and Errigal) in 32 hours. She has documented these challenges as part of her "Fighting Fit for Ewing's" online awareness campaign. She has also worked with other disability organisations. In 2022, she had a partial leg amputation and rotationplasty.

Political career

On 10 July 2024, Bradley was nominated to the 26th Seanad by the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, to fill the vacancy caused by the election of Regina Doherty to the European Parliament. In a statement accepting the nomination, she said that she planned to speak on disability issues, the defective block crisis, and voter turnout among young voters. On 11 July she was formally introduced to the Seanad and made her maiden speech.

Bradley contested the 2024 general election, standing as one of two Fine Gael candidates in the Donegal constituency. She received 3,658 first-preference votes (4.77 percent of the total) and was eliminated on the 14th count with 6,176 votes overall. Neither she nor her Fine Gael running mate was elected, marking the first time since the 1930s that the party did not win a seat in Donegal. Bradley's post-election interviews sparked anger and went viral after she claimed that a "negative attitude" persisted in Donegal and that voters were "moaning and groaning" about issues. She later issued an apology for her comments.

Personal life

Bradley became engaged to her partner, Ian Parke, on her 36th birthday in 2022. The couple live in Milford, County Donegal.

References

1. • McNulty, Chris (24 January 2022). "Inspirational Nikki Bradley shares engagement news". Donegal Live. Retrieved 11 July 2024. Nikki toasted the occasion of her 36th birthday on Sunday and confirmed her engagement
   • McLoughlin, Laura (1 February 2022). "Two big surprises on the same day". Donegal News. Retrieved 10 July 2024. she got engaged ... on her 36th birthday. ... I found out about my surgery on Friday and I got engaged that night.
2. ^ Hosford, Paul (10 July 2024). "Motivational speaker Nikki Bradley to be appointed to Seanad". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
3. ^ Lehane, Mícheál (10 July 2024). "Disability advocate Nikki Bradley appointed to the Seanad". RTÉ News. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
4. "Nikki Bradley". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
5. ^ Ryan, Órla (14 August 2016). Irish cancer survivor loses out on world record by just ONE second. thejournal.ie. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
6. "Nikki Bradley". Childhood Cancer Ireland. Retrieved 10 July 2024. I've had two hip replacements following a rare childhood cancer diagnosis (Ewing's Sarcoma) in 2002, when I was 16
7. O’Muiri, Orla (2018). "Nikki Bradley: The Four Peaks Challenge". Outsider. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
8. "Ewing's Sarcoma — Fighting Fit for Ewing's". The Motivation Factory. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
9. Adventurer Nikki Bradley on her decision to have a rotationplasty. Ray Darcy Show. RTÉ Radio 1. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
10. "Nikki Bradley receives Taoiseach's nomination to Seanad". Fine Gael (Press release). 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
11. • "Nomination of Member". Seanad Debates – Vol. 302 No. 3. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
    • Bradley, Nikki (11 July 2024). "Order of Business". Seanad Debates – Vol. 302 No. 3. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
12. McLaughlin, Rachel (26 August 2024). "Fine Gael selects Nikki Bradley and John McNulty to contest in General Election". Donegal Daily. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
13. "Election 2024: Donegal results". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
14. Ryan, Emma (1 December 2024). "'In certain parts, we need to start again' – Senator Nikki Bradley reacts as Fine Gael loses seat in Donegal". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
15. Ó Broin, Cian (2 December 2024). "'I let myself down' - Election candidate apologises following backlash over negative comments about Donegal voters". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
16. "Senator Nikki Bradley apologises for any hurt she caused". Highland Radio. 2 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
17. "Nikki Bradley issues apology for election comments". Donegal Daily. 2 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
18. McLoughlin, Laura (1 February 2022). "Two big surprises on the same day". Donegal News. Retrieved 2 December 2024.

External links

• Nikki Bradley's page on the Fine Gael website

• 1986 births
• 21st-century women members of Seanad Éireann
• Fine Gael senators
• Irish amputees
• Irish disability rights activists
• Irish motivational speakers
• Living people
• Members of the 26th Seanad
• Nominated members of Seanad Éireann
• People from Milford, County Donegal
• Politicians from County Donegal
• Women motivational speakers