Niall Blaney

Blaney started his political career as a member of Independent Fianna Fáil, a splinter group created by his uncle Neil T. Blaney when he was expelled from Fianna Fáil over the Arms Crisis of 1969–1970.

Niall Blaney (born 29 January 1974) is an Irish politician who has been a Senator for the Agricultural Panel since April 2020.

Niall Blaney was born in Letterkenny, County Donegal in 1974.

He graduated from Letterkenny Institute of Technology with a diploma in civil engineering.

Blaney first held public office when he was elected to Donegal County Council in 1999.

He married Rosaleen in August 2002 and the couple had three children together.

Three years later, in the 2002 general election, he won election to Dáil Éireann, capturing the third seat in the Donegal North-East constituency after Fianna Fáil's Jim McDaid and Cecilia Keaveney.

He was a member of Independent Fianna Fáil until he joined Fianna Fáil in 2006, he served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Donegal North-East from 2002 to 2011.

Although some members of the Blaney family opposed the move, Niall Blaney announced on 26 July 2006 that he had joined the Fianna Fáil party, a move that marked the effective end of Independent Fianna Fáil.

As a supporter of the Fianna Fáil–led coalition government upon his election to the Dáil, Blaney was widely anticipated to join Fianna Fáil and stand as a candidate for that party at the 2007 general election.

At the 2007 general election, Blaney again won the third seat in the constituency, after Fine Gael's Joe McHugh and Fianna Fáil's Jim McDaid.

He was elected on the eighth count after a closely fought struggle with Sinn Féin councillor Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.

He sought the Fianna Fáil nomination in the Midlands–North-West constituency for the 2024 European Parliament election but was defeated by Barry Cowen at the selection convention.

On 29 February 2024, he was added to the Fianna Fáil election ticket for Midlands–North-West, along with Lisa Chambers.

For personal reasons, he decided not to contest the 2011 general election.

On 9 January 2011, at a political meeting at the Silver Tassie Hotel, Letterkenny, Blaney disclosed that he and his wife had agreed to an amicable separation and that he had moved out of the family home in Rosnakill, Fanad.

In a surprise statement on 30 January 2011, just hours before a Fianna Fáil selection convention for his constituency, Blaney announced that he would not be contesting the 2011 general election.

He cited "personal reasons" for his decision.

Blaney was an unsuccessful candidate for the Industrial and Commercial Panel of Seanad Éireann in the April 2016 election.

With only eleven seats available, Ó Domhnaill expressed surprise at Blaney's campaign, particularly as it was on a different panel than the one to which he sought admission in 2016.

He was also an unsuccessful candidate at the Seanad by-election in April 2018.

The vacancy was caused by the resignation of Trevor Ó Clochartaigh of Sinn Féin from the Agricultural Panel.

The seat was won by former Fine Gael TD Anthony Lawlor.

He had since contested a number of Seanad elections and attempted, but failed, to win a Fianna Fáil nomination in the Midlands–North-West constituency for the 2019 European Parliament election.

Niall Blaney comes from a political family.

His grandfather Neal Blaney, his uncle Neil Blaney, and his father Harry Blaney all preceded him as TDs.

Blaney tried, but failed, to win a Fianna Fáil nomination in the Midlands–North-West constituency for the 2019 European Parliament election.

With the support of game shoot bodies regulator the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC), Blaney was a candidate for the Agricultural Panel of Seanad Éireann in the March 2020 Seanad election.

The move set him up against incumbent Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill (also with a history in Fianna Fáil).

In March 2020, Blaney was elected to the Seanad, while Ó Domhnaill lost his seat.

Following his involvement in the Oireachtas Golf Society Scandal in August 2020, Blaney was one of six senators who lost the party whip in the Senate as punishment for their actions.