Grace O'Sullivan

Grace O'Sullivan (born 8 March 1962) is an Irish politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the South constituency since July 2019. She is a member of the Green Party, part of the European Green Party. She previously served as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 2016 to 2019.

O'Sullivan is also known for her activism during a 20-year career with Greenpeace. She is a former Irish surfing champion and has worked for a number of years as an environmental education specialist and ecologist.

Biography
O'Sullivan was born in County Waterford in Ireland, where she grew up in Tramore, close to the back strand and the surrounding countryside, an environment which she says was influential on her life and appreciation of nature and the sea.

She joined Tramore Sea and Cliff Rescue at the age of 16, and by the age of 18 was a helmsman with the Tramore RNLI. She spent some time as a lifeguard with Waterford County Council, patrolling Tramore beach during the summer months.

She was a keen sportsperson at school, and became Ireland's first National Female Surf Champion in 1981.

In 1983, she took up a position with Greenpeace, and spend the next 20 years working with the organisation in areas that included almost 10 years on various Greenpeace ships. She was a crew member of the original Rainbow Warrior when it was bombed in New Zealand in 1985 by French Intelligence. She was involved in many campaigns covering a range of environmental and peace issues. She spent a number of years working for Greenpeace at its Amsterdam offices, including time as assistant to Campaign Director and as Human Resources Manager for Greenpeace International.

In addition to working full-time at Greenpeace, O'Sullivan took a Life Long Learning Programme with the Open University, gaining qualifications in Management Studies.

Political career
She ran as the Green MEP candidate for the Ireland South constituency in the 2014 European election, being eliminated on the 7th count with approximately 4% of first preference votes.

She was elected as a Senator in 2016, and sat with 5 other senators in the Civil Engagement group.

O'Sullivan was elected at the 2019 European Parliament election for the South constituency. She received 75,946 (10.56%) first-preference votes. She was elected on the 18th count after a recount of the votes between her and outgoing MEP Liadh Ni Riada.

Her sister Lola O'Sullivan is a Fine Gael Waterford City and County Councillor.

References

External links

Grace O'Sullivan's page on the Green Party website

Category:1961 births
Category:Living people
Category:Green Party (Ireland) senators
Category:Irish environmentalists
Category:Irish sportsperson-politicians
Category:Irish surfers
Category:Irish female surfers
Category:Irish women environmentalists
Category:Members of the 25th Seanad
Category:People associated with Greenpeace
Category:Politicians from County Waterford
Category:Women members of Seanad Éireann
Category:Women MEPs for the Republic of Ireland
Category:MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 2019–2024
Category:Green Party (Ireland) MEPs
Category:Alumni of Waterford Institute of Technology
Category:21st-century Irish women politicians