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Jennifer McCann

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Jennifer McCann
Junior Minister Assisting the Deputy First Minister
In office
12 June 2012 – 25 June 2016
Serving with Jonathan Bell, Michelle McIlveen and Emma Pengelly[a]
Deputy FMMartin McGuinness
Preceded byMartina Anderson
Succeeded byMegan Fearon
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Belfast West
In office
7 March 2007 – 6 December 2016
Preceded byDiane Dodds
Succeeded byÓrlaithí Flynn
Personal details
Born (1960-03-01) 1 March 1960 (age 64) [1]
Twinbrook, Northern Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partySinn Féin
SpouseRab Kerr
Children3
WebsiteJennifer McCann MLA
a. ^ Served alongside Emma Pengelly until 25 May 2016

Jennifer McCann (born 1 March 1960) is an Irish republican former politician in Northern Ireland, who was elected in 2007 to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a Sinn Féin member for Belfast West. She resigned from the Assembly in December 2016.[2]

Early life

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McCann was born in the Twinbrook area of Belfast, and was friends with Bobby Sands and his sister Bernadette. She joined the republican movement as a schoolgirl, becoming a member of Cumann na mBan then joining the Provisional Irish Republican Army aged 17. McCann was arrested aged 20, after shooting a Royal Ulster Constabulary police officer, and subsequently sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment.

Political career

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McCann was released from prison after serving just over ten years of her sentence, and began working for Sinn Féin in the POW Department and Women's Department. She is active on a number of projects in her community, including the Sally Gardens Community Centre Committee, the Safer Neighbourhoods Project, the Colin Community Festival, and the Falls Community Council's Community Drugs Programme.

Personal life

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McCann is married to former IRA prisoner Rab Kerr, with whom she has three children.

References

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  1. ^ "MLA Details". NI Assembly. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Sinn Fein's Jennifer McCann resigns as West Belfast MLA". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Independent News and Media. 17 November 2016.

Sources

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Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by MLA for Belfast West
2007–2016
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Junior Minister
2012–2016
Succeeded by