Senator
Shane Cassells
Senator
Assumed office
29 June 2020
ConstituencyLabour Panel
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2016 – February 2020
ConstituencyMeath West
Personal details
Born (1978-04-06) 6 April 1978 (age 45)
Navan, County Meath, Ireland
Political partyFianna Fáil
SpouseFiona Healy
Children3
Alma materGriffith College Dublin

Shane Cassells (born 6 April 1978) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as a Senator for the Labour Panel since April 2020. He previously served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath West constituency from 2016 to 2020.[1][2]

Before being elected as a TD, Cassells worked for the Fingal Independent as a sports journalist,[3] and with publishing house Devlin Media.[4] He is a nephew of footballer Joe Cassells and of Peter Cassells, former head of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

Cassells was first elected to Navan City Council in 1999, and was a member of Meath County Council from 2004 to 2016, serving as Mayor of Navan twice.[5][6] He contested the 2005 Meath by-election for Fianna Fáil but was not elected. He contested the 2011 Irish general election in the Meath West constituency, but again was not elected.[7]

He was elected on his third attempt at the 2016 general election, and his seat was considered to be safe, but he lost his seat at the 2020 general election, as his share of first preferences fell from 27.4% to 16.2%.[8]

In April 2020, he was elected to Seanad Éireann as a Senator for the Labour Panel.[9]

Cassells is married to Fiona Healy, and they have three children.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Shane Cassells". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Election 2016: Shane Cassells". RTÉ News. 27 February 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021.
  3. ^ McGee, Harry (3 February 2005). "Cassells to stand for FF". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail)". Meath Chronicle. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Shane Cassells". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Profile: Shane Cassells (FF)". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Shane Cassells". RTÉ News. 17 December 2015.
  8. ^ Walsh, Louise (10 February 2020) [9 February 2020]. "Meath West results: Surprise at Fianna Fáil loss as seismic shift to left". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  9. ^ O'Halloran, Marie (4 April 2020). "Seanad election results: Full list of Senators voted in to new Seanad". Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.

External links

Teachtaí Dála (TDs) for the Meath West constituency
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Fianna Fáil
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