John O'Dowd

John O'Dowd
O'Dowd in 2021
Minister for Infrastructure
Assumed office
3 February 2024
First MinisterMichelle O'Neill
Preceded byHimself (2022)
In office
16 May 2022 – 27 October 2022
First MinisterVacant
Preceded byNichola Mallon
Succeeded byHimself (2024)
Minister for Education
In office
16 May 2011 – 25 May 2016
First MinisterPeter Robinson
Preceded byCaitríona Ruane
Succeeded byPeter Weir
Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
Acting
20 September 2011 – 31 October 2011
Serving with Peter Robinson
Preceded byMartin McGuinness
Succeeded byMartin McGuinness
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Upper Bann
Assumed office
26 November 2003
Preceded byDara O'Hagan
Member of
Craigavon Borough Council
In office
21 May 1997 – 5 May 2011
Preceded byBrendan McConville
Succeeded byMairéad O'Dowd
ConstituencyLoughside
Personal details
Born
John Fitzgerald O'Dowd

(1967-05-10) 10 May 1967 (age 57)
Tullylish, Northern Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partySinn Féin
SpouseMary O'Dowd
Children3
OccupationPolitician

John Fitzgerald O'Dowd (born 10 May 1967) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann since 2003.[1] He has served as Minister for Infrastructure from May to October 2022, and again since 2024. He served as Minister for Education in the Stormont Executive from 2011 to 2016. He briefly took on the duties of deputy First Minister in 2011 while Martin McGuinness ran in the 2011 Irish presidential election.

In 2019, O'Dowd launched an unsuccessful bid to unseat Michelle O'Neill as Vice President of Sinn Féin at the party's ard fheis and received the endorsement of Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew. However, he refused to give media interviews to explain his decision to challenge O'Neill.[2]

  1. ^ Ferguson, Amanda (13 May 2022). "Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill says everyone else turned up. The public deserves politicians working together, and a budget. Regret DUP have stopped the rest of us. John O'Dowd is new Infrastructure Minister". Twitter. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Sinn Féin: Michelle O'Neill sees off John O'Dowd's bid for vice-presidency". BBC News. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2024.