Senator Rónán Mullen |
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Mullen at the Council of Europe in April 2010
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Senator | |
Assumed office July 2007 |
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Constituency | National University of Ireland |
Personal details | |
Born |
County Galway, Ireland |
13 October 1970
Nationality | Irish |
Political party | Independent |
Alma mater |
University College Galway (B.A.) Dublin City University (M.A.) King's Inns (B.L.) |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Website | www |
Rónán Thomas Mullen (born 13 October 1970) is an independent Irish Senator and former delegate to the Council of Europe. He was elected by the National University of Ireland Seanad constituency in July 2007 and re-elected for a second term in 2011. Mullen is a frequent media commentator on social and political topics. The first National University of Ireland senator appointed to the Council of Europe, he received international coverage for his role in defeating the controversial McCafferty Report which sought to limit the right to conscientious objection for medical staff in the case of abortions.
Mullen was born and educated in County Galway, in the west of Ireland, and studied French and English at NUI Galway, where he was also president of the Students' Union. Then, in 1993, he moved to Dublin and studied for a master's degree in journalism, after which he worked as a teacher and press secretary. In 1999 he began training as a barrister in the King's Inns, during which he won the Irish Times Debate. He was called to the Bar in 2003. Since 2001 he has been a lecturer in the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown.
Mullen was born in County Galway, son of Maura Hobbs and Tom Mullen. He grew up in Ahascragh, County Galway. After primary school in Kilglass National School and secondary school in Holy Rosary College in Mountbellew, he obtained a BA degree in English and French from University College Galway. Mullen was elected president of UCG Students' Union (now NUI Galway Students' Union) in 1991–92. He then obtained a master's degree in Journalism from Dublin City University in 1993.