John O'Dowd | |
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![]() O'Dowd in 2021 | |
Minister for Infrastructure | |
Assumed office 3 February 2024 | |
First Minister | Michelle O'Neill |
Preceded by | Himself (2022) |
In office 16 May 2022 – 27 October 2022 | |
First Minister | Vacant |
Preceded by | Nichola Mallon |
Succeeded by | Himself (2024) |
Minister for Education | |
In office 16 May 2011 – 25 May 2016 | |
First Minister | Peter Robinson |
Preceded by | Caitríona Ruane |
Succeeded by | Peter Weir |
Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland | |
Acting 20 September 2011 – 31 October 2011 Serving with Peter Robinson | |
Preceded by | Martin McGuinness |
Succeeded by | Martin McGuinness |
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Upper Bann | |
Assumed office 26 November 2003 | |
Preceded by | Dara O'Hagan |
Member of Craigavon Borough Council | |
In office 21 May 1997 – 5 May 2011 | |
Preceded by | Brendan McConville |
Succeeded by | Mairéad O'Dowd |
Constituency | Loughside |
Personal details | |
Born | John Fitzgerald O'Dowd 10 May 1967 Tullylish, Northern Ireland |
Nationality | Irish |
Political party | Sinn Féin |
Spouse | Mary O'Dowd |
Children | 3 |
Occupation | Politician |
John Fitzgerald O'Dowd (born 10 May 1967) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann since 2003.[1] He has served as Minister for Infrastructure from May to October 2022, and again since 2024. He served as Minister for Education in the Stormont Executive from 2011 to 2016. He briefly took on the duties of deputy First Minister in 2011 while Martin McGuinness ran in the 2011 Irish presidential election.
In 2019, O'Dowd launched an unsuccessful bid to unseat Michelle O'Neill as Vice President of Sinn Féin at the party's ard fheis and received the endorsement of Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew. However, he refused to give media interviews to explain his decision to challenge O'Neill.[2]