Mary Coughlan (born 28 May 1965 in Donegal) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She is currently a Teachta Dála for Donegal South West and Minister for Agriculture & Food. She has previously served as Minister for Social & Family Affairs. May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Donegal (Dún na nGall in Irish) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Ireland, but traditionally translated as Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... Donegal South West is a parliamentary constituency in the Republic of Ireland, located in the southern part of County Donegal. ... The Minister for Agriculture and Food is the senior minister at the Department of Agriculture and Food (An Roinn Talmhaíochta agus Bia) in the Irish Government. ... The Minister for Social and Family Affairs is the senior minister at the Department of Social and Family Affairs (An Roinn Gnothaí Sóisialacha agus Teaghlaigh) in the Irish Government. ...

Mary Coughlan was born in Donegal town in 1965. She was educated at the Ursuline Convent in Sligo and University College Dublin. She briefly worked as a social worker before becoming involved in politics. Coughlan was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD at the general election of 1987. At the age of 21 years and 9 months Coughlan was the youngest member of the 25th Dáil and became the second youngest TD ever, after Ivan Yates. Coughlan is not the only member of her family to become politically active. Her uncle, Clement Coughlan, was a TD from 1981 until his death in 1983, while her father was a TD from 1983 until his death in a road traffic accident in 1986. The death of her father resulted in Coughlan being co-opted onto Donegal County Council and launching her own political career. Coughlan is married to David Charlton and has two children. Donegal (Dún na nGall in Irish) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. ... The word Ursuline is used to describe the following: Ursulines A Catholic religious order. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin - more commonly University College Dublin (UCD) - is Irelands largest university, with over 20,000 students. ... A social worker is a person employed in the administration of charity, social service, welfare, and poverty agencies, advocacy, or religious outreach programs. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Ireland, but traditionally translated as Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... The Irish general election of 1987 was held on February 17, 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on January 20. ... This is a list of the members who were elected to the 25th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Ivan Yates (born October 23, 1959), was a senior Irish politician. ... Clement Coughlan ( - February 1, 1983)was an Irish politician. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Coughlan remained on the backbenches of the Dáil for the first decade of her career as a TD. During this period she served on a number of Oireachtas committees, including the Joint Committee on Tourism, Sport & Recreation and the Joint Committee on the Irish language where she served as Chairperson. Coughlan was also a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Body. In 1994 Bertie Ahern became leader of Fianna Fáil and Leader of the Opposition. In early 1995 he named his new front bench, including Coughlan as Spokesperson on Educational Reform. She served in this position until 1997 but was not included in the cabinet or junior ministerial team when the party came to power. In 2001 Coughlan received her first ministerial position, that of Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht & the Islands. She retained this portfolio until the 2002 general election when she was promoted to the cabinet as Minister for Social & Family Affairs. In a cabinet reshuffle in 2004 Coughlan succeeded Joe Walsh as Minister for Agriculture & Food, becoming the first woman to hold that portfolio. The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. ... Irish (Gaeilge), a Goidelic language spoken in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, is constitutionally recognised as the first official language of the Republic of Ireland. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Patrick Bartholomew Ahern (Irish name: Pádraig Parthalán Ó hEachthairn) (born 12 September 1951), commonly called Bertie Ahern, is an Irish politician. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Ireland, but traditionally translated as Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... The Leader of the Opposition (Ir Ceannaire an Fhreasúra) in the Republic of Ireland is the politician who, at least in theory, leads the Parliamentary Opposition bloc in the lower house of the Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Opposition Front Bench is a group of senior opposition TDs in Dáil Éireann who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose members mark each individual member of the government. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Government Buildings in Dublin. ... A Minister of State, in the Republic of Ireland, is a junior minister of non-cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the cabinet. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is the senior minister at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (An Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta) in the Irish Government. ... The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday 17 May 2002, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. ... The Minister for Social and Family Affairs is the senior minister at the Department of Social and Family Affairs (An Roinn Gnothaí Sóisialacha agus Teaghlaigh) in the Irish Government. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Joe Walsh (born May 1943) is an Irish politician. ... The Minister for Agriculture and Food is the senior minister at the Department of Agriculture and Food (An Roinn Talmhaíochta agus Bia) in the Irish Government. ...

Coughlan has already been selected as a candidate in the next general election, however, it has been speculated in the media that she may be one of the most high profile politicians to lose their seats. The 30th Irish General Election will be held in 2006 or 2007, after the dissolution of the 29th Dáil by the President, at the request of the Taoiseach. ...

Political career

This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database Cathal Coughlan is an Irish singer songwriter, formerly of Microdisney, and Fatima Mansions. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Ireland, but traditionally translated as Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... Donegal South West is a parliamentary constituency in the Republic of Ireland, located in the southern part of County Donegal. ... Éamon Ó Cuív (born June 1950) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician and is currently the Minister for Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs. ... A Minister of State, in the Republic of Ireland, is a junior minister of non-cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the cabinet. ... The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is the senior minister at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (An Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta) in the Irish Government. ... Dermot Ahern (born February 2, 1955) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician who currently serves as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. ... The Minister for Social & Family Affairs is the chief person at the Department of Social & Family Affairs in the Irish Government. ... Séamus Brennan (born February 16, 1948) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... Joe Walsh (born May 1943) is an Irish politician. ... The Minister for Agriculture and Food is an important position in the Irish Government. ...