Martin Kenny
TD
Kenny in 2019
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencySligo–Leitrim
Personal details
Born (1971-10-01) 1 October 1971
Sligo, Ireland
Political partySinn Féin
SpouseHelen Kenny
Children4
Alma materInstitute of Technology, Sligo

Martin Kenny (born 1 October 1971) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency since the 2016 general election.[1][2]

Career

Prior to entering politics, Kenny worked in horticulture, growing mushrooms and providing advice to other farmers. He later moved into community work.[3]

Kenny became a member of Leitrim County Council in 2001, when he was co-opted to replace Liam McGirl, the son of former Sinn Féin TD John Joe McGirl.[4] He previously served on Sinn Féin's ard comhairle.[5] Kenny sought the nomination to be Sinn Féin's candidate in the 2014 European Parliament election in Ireland in the North-West constituency, but Matt Carthy was selected.[6]

He was Sinn Féin's candidate in the 2014 Roscommon–South Leitrim by-election,[7] in which he received 5,906 votes (17.7% of the vote) and was eliminated on the fifth count.[8] He ran in the new Sligo–Leitrim constituency in the 2016 general election and was elected, with 6,356 votes (10.2% of the vote).[9] He was re-elected in 2020, topping the poll with 15,035 votes (24.8% of the vote) and being elected on the first count.[10]

In May 2016, Kenny alleged a number of serious instances of misconduct within the Garda Síochána. The main allegations included that gardaí were engaging informants who were active criminals, outside the Garda Covert Human Intelligence Sources programme. He also mentioned a number of instances including "robberies allegedly carried out by informants under the direction of gardaí", cases of entrapment made at the behest of Garda handlers,[11] and an instance where "senior gardaí did not inform other members of the force of plans by a criminal gang to carry out attacks at the homes of gardaí".[12]

He also stated that two Gardaí had brought this to the attention of both Martin Callinan (former Commissioner of the Garda Síochána) and the former Minister of Justice, Alan Shatter, but their concerns were ignored.[12][13]

Harassment and attacks

In October 2019, Kenny said he had received death threats after he spoke out in Dáil Eireann against far-right elements in Irish society using anti-immigrant rhetoric. Kenny's remarks were spurred by the aftermath of the 2019 Grays incident, and recent protests against the building of a direct provision centre in his own constituency in County Leitrim as well other protests in Ireland against the construction of direct provision centres.[14] On 28 October 2019, Kenny's car was set ablaze outside his family home.[15][16] In an interview with Ocean FM he described the arson attack as "traumatic" and feared that he was facing the same fate as Kevin Lunney.[17]

In October 2021, a threat of gun violence was made to Kenny's office.[18] In October 2022, a man was charged with causing criminal damage to the gates of Kenny's home.[19]

Personal life

Kenny is married to Helen, and the couple have four adult children.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Martin Kenny". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  2. ↑ "Election 2016: Martin Kenny". RTÉ News. 28 February 2016. Archived from the original on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Sinn Féin's Martin Kenny: 'I'm sure there's plenty of guards that vote for us'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "Martin Kenny". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  5. ↑ "Profile: Martin Kenny (SF)". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  6. ↑ "Cllr Kenny seeks selection as EU candidate". www.leitrimobserver.ie. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "Sinn Féin and Labour enter race for 'Ming' seat". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "ElectionsIreland.org: 31st Dail By Elections - Roscommon Leitrim South First Preference Votes". www.electionsireland.org. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "RTÉ News - Election 2016 - Sligo-Leitrim". RTÉ.ie. 15 March 2019. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "General Election Results | RTÉ News". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ↑ "'Rogue' gardaí using criminal informants to entrap people, says TD". The Irish Times. 26 May 2016. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Policing Authority says level of service to crime victims 'unacceptable'". RTÉ News. 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  13. ↑ ""Rogue" gardaí working with criminal informants to entrap people, TD claims". Newstalk.com. 26 May 2016. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  14. ↑ Loughlin, Elaine (25 October 2019). "Death threat to TD who hit out at 'far-right ideology'". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  15. ↑ McDonagh, Marese (28 October 2019). "Minister for Justice 'appalled' by alleged arson attack on TD's car". Irishtimes.com. Irish Times. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  16. ↑ "Car of Sinn Féin TD who received death threats last week set on fire outside his home". TheJournal.ie. 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  17. ↑ Ó Cionnaith, Fiachra (29 October 2019). "TD whose car was burned out 'feared same fate as Kevin Lunney'". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  18. ↑ McConnell, Daniel; Moore, Aoife (26 October 2021). "Gun threat made to office of Sinn Féin TD". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  19. ↑ "Man (49) appears in court on charges related to incident at Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny's home". Independent.ie. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  20. ↑ "Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny Says Wife 'Doesn't Feel Safe' Home Alone After Arson Attack". 6 January 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
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