Ciarán Cannon (born 19 September 1965) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway East constituency from 2011 to 2024. He previously served as a senator for the Progressive Democrats and was the last elected leader of that party. He served as a Minister of State from 2011 to 2014 and again from 2017 to 2020. He served as a Senator from 2007 to 2011, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.[1][2]
Before entering politics, he was a planning official for Galway City Council and Dublin City Council, as well as CEO and secretary of the Irish Pilgrimage Trust.[3] In 2002, he was honoured as one of the Galway People of the Year.[4]
Cannon was elected as Leader of the Progressive Democrats in April 2008.[6] He was the first leader of the party to sit as a Senator while serving as leader. At his first press conference as party leader, he stated that he believed "there was passion, commitment, talent and knowledge within the PDs' ranks to stage a big comeback".[7]
However, after speculation increased that Noel Grealish, one of the two Progressive Democrat TDs, intended to leave the party, Cannon announced in September 2008 that a party conference would be held on 8 November 2008, at which he would recommend that the party disband.[8] The delegates present at the conference voted by 201–161 to agree with this recommendation.[9]
Fine Gael
On 24 March 2009, Cannon announced his decision to resign the leadership of the PDs and joined Fine Gael the same day.[10] At the 2011 general election, he was one of two Fine Gael TDs elected in Galway East.
In 2019, in recognition of his work in education, Cannon was appointed as a UNICEF global champion for education. He is one of seven Generation Unlimited Champions who will advocate worldwide for the development of UNICEF's Gen U programme.[16]
At the 2020 general election, he was elected to the second seat in Galway East. He continued to serve as a minister of state until the formation of a new government on 27 June 2020.
On 19 March 2024, Cannon announced that he would not contest the next general election, blaming a "toxicity in politics".[17]
Personal life
Cannon is a musician and songwriter, and recently collaborated with Irish folk singer Seán Keane and others on songwriting projects. One of Cannon's co-compositions, "Nature's Little Symphony", was performed in Dublin by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as part of the national Cruinniú celebrations on Easter Monday 2017. Both "Nature’s Little Symphony" and another of his compositions "Gratitude" featured on the album "Gratitude" recorded by Seán Keane and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in 2018. On the 10 August 2018, Cannon played piano with Seán Keane and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as part of a sold-out performance at the National Concert Hall. In 2019, he composed "An Túr", a short piano instrumental to celebrate the birthday of W. B. Yeats.[18][19]
In 2021 he was commissioned to compose the soundtrack to a poem by Emily Cullen as part of the national commemoration of the signing of the Anglo-Irish treaty in 1921.[20]
In March 2024 he began presenting The Grey Lake Cafe, a radio show on Loughrea Community Radio featuring his own musical choices, and interviews with public figures who have a passion for music.[21]
Cannon is also an avid cyclist and cycling safety advocate.[22] He specialises in endurance cycling challenges and on 19 June 2021 he cycled Ireland end to end, a distance of 575 km, in 23 hours and 23 minutes, to raise money for charity.[23]
On 2 July 2021 he was involved in a road traffic collision and suffered serious injuries. On 2 July 2022 he marked the first anniversary of the incident by cycling 500 km around the border of County Galway.[24][25]
Marking the same date in 2023, he cycled 935 km (581 mi) in 56 hours, covering all 32 counties of the island of Ireland while fundraising for Hand In Hand, a charity that supports families challenged by childhood cancer.[26]
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