Helen O'Donnell
Helen O'Donnell (née O'Connor, born 1960/1961)[1] is an Irish businesswoman who is co-founder of Team Limerick Clean-up. She was a candidate in the 2024 Limerick mayoral election, and finished in 2nd place.[2]
Early life[edit]
She was born in Sligo and was educated at Grange National School, Grange Vocational School, Convent of Mercy Claremorris, and College of Catering RTC Galway.[3]
Career[edit]
In 1994, O'Donnell was invited by John Bruton to sit as an alternate delegate for Fine Gael on the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation.[4] The same year, she opened her first business; an art-and-craft gallery and restaurant.[5]
In 2011, she founded Limerick City Tidy Towns and three years later she received the national Hero Award at Tidy Towns.[6] In 2015, along with J. P. McManus and Paul O'Connell, she co-founded the annual Team Limerick Clean-Up, a one-day tidy happening every Good Friday and attracting over 20,000 volunteers from various towns in the county.[7]
She sat as chair of Crescent College's board of management, Limerick City Business Association, Adapt Domestic Abuse Services and PAUL Partnership,[8] and the Safefood advisory board. Founded in 1999, Safefood is one of six North-South implementation bodies established under the terms of the British-Irish Agreement.[9][10] She represented Limerick Chamber at the National Retail Forum.[11]
In 2013, she was awarded the Limerick Person of the Year award and was honoured with a civic reception in 2020. That same year, she was "grand marshal" of the Limerick St Patrick's Day Parade.[12][13]
She ran the Hunt Cafe in the Hunt Museum for twenty-five years, until 2022.[14]
She was a former honorary national secretary of Fine Gael.[15]
Limerick mayoral candidacy[edit]
In March 2023, O'Donnell announced that she would stand in the 2024 Limerick mayoral election, Limerick's first ever direct election for the position of mayor.[16] She received the endorsement of businessman J. P. McManus, whose benevolent fund she served on the board of.[17]
Personal life[edit]
In 1984, she married Tom O'Donnell (1926–2020) and has one son. Her husband was a Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for the Gaeltacht from 1973 to 1977. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Limerick East from 1961 to 1987. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Munster constituency from 1979 to 1989.[18] Her nephew through marriage, Kieran O'Donnell, is a sitting Fine Gael TD for Limerick.[16]
References[edit]
- ^ "Wife of former MEP gives birth". The Irish Times. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Mayor of Limerick Election Results". Limerick City and County Council. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ "An tÚdarás Rialaithe". Mary Immaculate College. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "Members of the Forum". Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. Archived from the original on 4 May 1999. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
- ^ Jacques, Alan (31 May 2024). "Helen rolls up the sleeves to polish Limerick's act". Limerick Post Newspaper. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ Lynch, Richard (13 September 2014). "Helen O'Donnell Receives Hero Award". I Love Limerick. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ "About TLC". Team Limerick Clean-up. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ "Meet the people who would be Limerick's first directly-elected Mayor – all 13 so far declared". Irish Independent. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ British-Irish Agreement Act 1999, s. 15 (No. 1 of 1999, s. 15). Enacted on 22 March 1999. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
- ^ "Safefood Annual Report 2018" (PDF).
- ^ "Helen O'Donnell Joins National Retail Consultation Forum". Limerick Chamber. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Aine (5 March 2013). "Helen O'Donnell is Limerick Person of the Year". Limerick Leader. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ "Limerick's St Patrick's Festival to be beamed live to millions of people across America". Limerick Post. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ Rabbitts, Nick (20 December 2021). "Limerick businesswoman announces retirement from her popular city cafe". Limerick Leader. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ Raleigh, David (11 March 2024). "Limerick businesswoman Helen O'Donnell puts name forward for its first elected mayor". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ a b Raleigh, David (11 March 2024). "Limerick businesswoman Helen O'Donnell puts name forward for its first elected mayor". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ McQuinn, Cormac (31 May 2024). "Billionaire JP McManus endorses Independent candidate Helen O'Donnell in Limerick mayor race". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Obituary: Tom O'Donnell". Irish Independent. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2024.