Ursula Ní Shionnain, who was jailed for firearms offences by the Special Criminal Court in 2014, was still claimed as a member by the socialist republican group Éirígí in 2018, the year she was employed in Leinster House by presidential candidate Catherine Connolly.
On Thursday Ms Connolly said she “checked out” Ms Ní Shionnain after her release and employed her because she was “a person who had rehabilitated herself”.
Ms Ní Shionnain was convicted in February 2014 along with three others. She pleaded not guilty to the possession of arms and ammunition in Tullybeg, Rahan, Co Offaly, but did not offer a defence. She was found guilty and given a six-year sentence. Her co-accused were also jailed.
The court heard that when a stolen van she and her co-accused were travelling in was stopped in 2012, close to the premises of a firearms dealer, one of the weapons discovered was a pistol used in a murder in Tallaght in 2002.
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It was not suggested that any of the accused were involved in the Tallaght murder. One of the accused had a previous conviction for IRA membership.
During Ms Ní Shionnain’s time in prison, Éirígí posted several images of paintings of revolutionary figures by her on its Facebook page and referred to her as “comrade”.
On February 4th, 2018, it posted an image of revolutionary Constance Markievicz, saying it was a painting by “our own Ursula Ní Shionnain”.
In February 2023, Ms Ni Shionnain was one of a number of signatories of a “Statement from Irish Republican Political ex-Prisoners” posted on Facebook by two groups, AFA (Always Anti-Fascist) Ireland and a socialist republican group called Lasair Dhearg.
“The reactionary views of fascists have always been directly opposed to our beliefs, but now fascists pose as ‘patriots’ and ‘community defenders’,” the statement said.
Since December 2023, Ms Ní Shionnain has been the language planning officer for the Meath Gaeltacht. She runs a language consultancy called Sainchomhairle and has appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Irish-Speaking Community.
She has a PhD in modern Gaelic studies from University College Cork and worked on a draft language plan for the West Belfast Irish Language Network prior to taking up work in the Oireachtas, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Last month Ms Connolly spoke at the launch of a new socialist republican magazine called An Clogán, the other contributors to which include former TD and MEP Clare Daly, former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Ms Ní Shionnain’s contribution is entitled “Language, Colonisation and Decolonisation”.
A request for a comment from Ms Ni Shionnain, whose Facebook page urges voters to vote for Ms Connolly, met with no response.
