Bríd Rodgers

Bríd Rodgers Bríd Mhic Ruairí
Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development
In office 2 December 1999 – 14 October 2002
Leader	John Hume
Preceded by	New Creation
Succeeded by	Michelle Gildernew
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann
In office 25 June 1998 – 26 November 2003
Preceded by	New Creation
Succeeded by	Dolores Kelly
Senator in the 17th Seanad Éireann
In office 23 February 1983 – 25 April 1987
Taoiseach	Garret FitzGerald
Constituency	Nominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born	20 February 1935 (1935-02-20) Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland
Political party	Social Democratic and Labour Party
Religion	Roman Catholic
Website	Assembly profile

Bríd Rodgers (Irish: Bríd Mhic Ruairí), born Bríd Stratford (born 20 February 1935, in Gweedore [Gaoth Dobhair], County Donegal, Ireland, is a former Irish nationalist politician.

Although born and brought up in a Gaeltacht area in the west of County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, she was politically active in Northern Ireland, where she was Deputy-Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Upper Bann.

Political career

Rodgers was educated in Monaghan and University College, Dublin, and has lived in Northern Ireland since 1960. She was involved in the Civil Rights Movement from 1965. She was a founder member of the SDLP, becoming Chairman in 1978 and General Secretary in 1981. In 1983 she was appointed to the Irish Senate by Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, and served until 1987.

Rodgers was a leader of the SDLP team in the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement. She was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the constituency of Upper Bann in June 1998. She was appointed to the first Northern Ireland Executive in November 1999 as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and remained in that position until the suspension of the Executive in October 2002. She became deputy leader of the SDLP in November 2001. She stood down as MLA at the Assembly elections of November 2003, and as deputy leader in February 2004, when she was replaced by Alasdair McDonnell.

Personal life

Rodgers is married with six children.

References

Party political offices
Preceded by Denis Haughey	Chairperson of the Social Democratic and Labour Party 1978–1980	Succeeded by Sean Farren
Preceded by Don Canning	General Secretary of the Social Democratic and Labour Party 1981–1983	Succeeded by Eamon Hanna
Preceded by Seamus Mallon	Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party 2001–2004	Succeeded by Alasdair McDonnell
Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by New creation	MLA for Upper Bann 1998 - 2003	Succeeded by Dolores Kelly
Political offices
Preceded by New office	Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development 1999 - 2000	Succeeded by Office suspended
Preceded by Office suspended	Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development 2000 - 2002	Succeeded by Office suspended