Lucilita Bhreatnach

Lucilita Bhreatnach is an Irish republican politician.

Growing up in Dublin, Bhreatnach joined Sinn Féin at the age of sixteen and was subsequently active in the Anti H-Block campaign, becoming the Chair of the Stop Strip-Searching Campaign. She worked for the Sinn Féin newspaper "An Phoblacht" in 1982, then on the Australia Desk in the party's Foreign Affairs Bureau." [http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/11682 Céad Bliain - Breithlá Shinn Féin: Celebration dinner 5 November] ", "An Phoblacht", 27 October 2005]

In 1986, Bhreatnach was elected to the party's Ard Chomhairle, and in 1988, she became its General Secretary. At the European election, 1994, Bhreatnach stood in Leinster, but took only 2.5% of the votes cast and lost her deposit. [ [http://electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1994E&cons=526 ElectionsIreland.org: 1994 European - Leinster First Preference Votes] ] At the Northern Ireland Forum election in 1996, Bhreatnach did not stand in a constituency, but was elected as she was placed first on Sinn Féin's "top-up" list. [ [http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/96cands.htm The 1996 Forum Elections: Regional List of Candidates] , Northern Ireland Elections]

Bhreatnach was part of the Sinn Féin delegation to talks at Downing Street in 1998 in the lead-up to the Belfast Agreement. [" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/48545.stm We will stay in talks - Sinn Fein] ", "BBC News", 19 January 1998] From 1999 until 2002, she headed the party's Electoral Department, opposing the Nice Referendum and planning for the UK general election, 2001. She stood down as General Secretary in early 2003, moving to a new role," [http://republican-news.org/archive/2002/July25/25luci.html Bhreatnach takes on cultural brief] ", "An Phoblacht", 25 July 2002] reorganising the party's Roinn an Chultúir and worked as head of its Equality Section, focussing on gender equality. In 2003, she organised a Sinn Féin conference, "Engine for Change — Women and Equality" [Roisin de Rosa, " [http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/2051 Women in history- Engine of Change] ", "An Phoblacht", 6 November 2003]

As of 2005, Bhreatnach worked as a journalist. In December 2007, she was appointed to the all-Ireland Irish language body Foras na Gaeilge, [" [http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news/news-ofmdfm/news-ofmdfm-december-2007/news-ofmdfm-171207-new-north-south.htm Boards of North South bodies appointed today] ", Northern Ireland Executive, 17 December 2007] and represents that body on the Audience Committee of RTÉ. [ [http://www.rte.ie/about/audience_members.html About RTE] ]

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