Jennifer McCann explained

Jennifer McCann
Office:Junior Minister Assisting the Deputy First Minister
1Blankname:Deputy FM
1Namedata:Martin McGuinness
Term Start:12 June 2012
Term End:25 June 2016
Alongside:Jonathan Bell, Michelle McIlveen and Emma Pengelly
Predecessor:Martina Anderson
Successor:Megan Fearon
Office2:Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Belfast West
Assembly2:Northern Ireland
Term Start2:7 March 2007
Term End2:6 December 2016
Predecessor2:Diane Dodds
Successor2:Órlaithí Flynn
Birth Date:1 March 1960 [1]
Birth Place:Twinbrook, Northern Ireland
Nationality:Irish
Party:Sinn Féin
Spouse:Rab Kerr
Children:3
Website:Jennifer McCann MLA
Footnotes: 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

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

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

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

Sources

Notes and References

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