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Ciaran Mullooly

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Ciaran Mullooly
MEP
File:Ciaran Mullooly MEP.jpg
Mullooly in 2024
Member of the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 2024
ConstituencyMidlands–North-West
Personal details
Born1968–1969[1]
County Longford, Ireland
Political party
Children2
Websiteciaranmullooly.com

Ciaran Mullooly is an Irish Independent Ireland politician who has served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Midlands–North-West constituency since 2024. A former journalist, he worked for RTÉ from 1993 to 2021, where he was the RTÉ News Midlands correspondent for 26 years.

Career

Mullooly started his career with the Longford Leader in 1985, before moving to the Cavan Leader newspaper aged 20.[2] He later joined RTÉ in 1993,[3] where he worked on the show Ear on the Ground, and was the RTÉ News Midlands correspondent from 1995 until 2021.[4][5][6]

After retiring from RTÉ in June 2021, he worked as a tourism activator for Longford County Council.[7][8][9]

Mullooly is a published author and has written three books.[10]

Mullooly had been courted by Ireland's establishment parties "for decades" to run for office, however, he always refused to run.[11]

MEP

Mullooly's logo during the 2024 European Parliament elections

In April 2024, he announced his intention to run for Independent Ireland at the 2024 European Parliament elections.[12] In his announcement Mullooly stated that “Common sense must prevail. The political system has failed this community" (the Midlands) specifically citing the environmentalist group, Friends of the Irish Environment, successfully blocking a flood relief pipeline and the damage this has caused the Midlands, as a fundamental draconian failure of European policy and guidelines.[13] Despite the right-wing rhetoric of Independent Ireland, Mullooly stated that “I would have said that I was a centrist” and took soft positions on energy, SMEs, and migration.[14]

Mullooly would be heavily criticized by his Social Democrat opponent, Rory Hearne, for being a "hypocrite" for supporting community values while also running for a party that opposes immigration.[15] Hearn also claimed Mullooly had “no solutions” and further criticized Mullooly for not opposing landlords.[15] Mullooly “utterly reject[ed]” Hearn's claims, stating that “I support the right of those fleeing conflict and oppression to seek asylum here but feel our present system is not fit for purpose".[15] Mullooly ran a grassroots campaign, with a staff of just 20, answering phone calls himself and running his staff like an RTÉ newsroom.[16][11] Mullooly centered his criticism on the greens stating that "We all agree with the transition" (to renewable energy) but "that the transition hasn’t worked out" [11] Mullooly also focused on agricultural issues, such as supporting the use of nitrogen fertilizers.[17] Mullooly would be excluded from RTÉ's European election TV debate, after which he heavily critizied the RTÉ, claiming it willfully ignored opinion polls that qualified him and that his exclusion was politically based.[18]

On 14 June 2024, Mullooly was elected as an MEP for the Midlands–North-West constituency with 88,177 votes after 21 counts,[19] receiving 57,297 (8.4%) of the first preference votes.[20] Mullooly performed particularly well in Offaly.[21]

By 19 June Mullooly was already in Brussels setting up various meetings and seeking seats in various agricultural committees.[22]

Personal life

Mullooly lives in Ballyleague, County Roscommon with his wife and two children.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Ciaran Mullooly". The Journal. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Back to the Future for Mullooly". Anglo Celt. 28 November 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  3. ^ Thompson, Jessica (30 June 2021). "'End of an era' for Lanesboro's Ciarán Mullooly". www.longfordleader.ie. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Ciaran Mullooly – Midlands Correspondent". RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Ex-RTÉ correspondent Ciaran Mullooly says he 'hates election counts'". BreakingNews.ie. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Ex-RTÉ journalist Ciaran Mullooly to contest EU elections". RTÉ. 6 April 2024.
  7. ^ Power, Jack (23 June 2021). "RTÉ midlands correspondent Ciarán Mullooly to retire". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  8. ^ Thompson, Jessica (30 June 2021). "'End of an era' for Lanesboro's Ciarán Mullooly". www.longfordleader.ie. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  9. ^ Hurley, David (2 January 2024). "Former RTÉ Midlands correspondent Ciaran Mullooly to take up new Longford tourism role". www.ireland-live.ie. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  10. ^ "PICTURES | Great afternoon in Longford library as Ciarán Mullooly launches his third book 'The Future is Now'". www.longfordleader.ie. 23 September 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  11. ^ a b c Sheridan, Kathy. "'Celebrity' election candidates: On the campaign trail with Ciaran Mullooly, Nina Carberry and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú". The Irish Times. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Former RTÉ midlands correspondent Ciaran Mullooly to run in European elections". Irish Independent. 5 April 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  13. ^ Canny, Richard. "Former RTÉ journalist Ciaran Mullooly confirmed as Independent Ireland European election candidate". The Irish Times. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  14. ^ Hubert, Thomas. ""I would have said that I was a centrist": Mullooly on energy, SMEs, and migration". thecurrency.news. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Ryan, Philip. "Rory Hearne accuses Ciaran Mullooly of 'hypocrisy' in scathing attack on Independent Ireland". Irish Independent. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  16. ^ Walsh, Andrew. "'In the mix for the fifth seat' - Ciaran Mullooly speaks ahead of first European Election count". Longford Leader. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  17. ^ McCarron, Jack; Coughlan, Mark; McDonald, Kate. "Beyond the banner: who was elected for Independent Ireland?". RTÉ. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  18. ^ Walsh, Alan. "Former RTÉ correspondent Ciaran Mullooly unhappy over exclusion from first major European election TV debate". Longford Leader. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  19. ^ "RTÉ Elections 2024, European Elections". RTÉ News. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  20. ^ "All Irish MEPs elected as count closes in Midlands-North-West". RTÉ News. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Early signs positive for Mullooly in Offaly". Offaly Independent. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  22. ^ Lyons, Thomas. "New Longford MEP Ciaran Mullooly hits the ground running as he enters negotiations in Brussels". Ireland Live. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  23. ^ Fetherstonhaugh, Neil (24 June 2021). "Veteran RTÉ newsman Ciaran Mullooly shows his sons around Donnybrook before retirement". Sunday World. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
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