Bríd Rodgers

Bríd Rodgers (née Stratford; born 20 February 1935) in Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland, is an Irish nationalist former politician.

Bríd Rodgers
Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development
In office
2 December 1999  14 October 2002[1]
First MinisterDavid Trimble
Preceded byNew Creation
Succeeded byMichelle Gildernew
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Upper Bann
In office
25 June 1998  26 November 2003
Preceded byNew Creation
Succeeded byDolores Kelly
Senator
In office
22 February 1983  5 April 1987
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born
Bríd Stratford

(1935-02-20) 20 February 1935
Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partySocial Democratic and Labour Party
Spouse(s)Antoin Rodgers
Children6
ResidenceLurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland
Alma materUniversity College Dublin

Although born and brought up in a Gaeltacht area in the west of County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, she was politically active in Northern Ireland, where she was Deputy-Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Upper Bann.

Political career

Rodgers was educated in Monaghan and University College, Dublin, and has lived in Northern Ireland since 1960. She was involved in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association from 1965. She was a founder member of the SDLP, becoming Chairman in 1978 and General Secretary in 1981. In 1983 she was nominated to Seanad Éireann by Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, and served until 1987.[2][3]

Rodgers was a leader of the SDLP team in the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement. She was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the constituency of Upper Bann in June 1998. She was appointed to the first Northern Ireland Executive in November 1999 as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and remained in that position until the suspension of the Executive in October 2002. She became deputy leader of the SDLP in November 2001. She stood down as MLA at the Assembly elections of November 2003, and as deputy leader in February 2004, when she was replaced by Alasdair McDonnell.

Personal life

Rodgers is married to Antoin Rodgers, together, they have six children. She is a distant relative of Irish American mobster Vincent Coll. She speaks fluent Irish, French and Italian.

References

  1. Office suspended 11 February 2000 - 30 May 2000
  2. "Brid Rodgers". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  3. "Brid Rodgers". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Denis Haughey
Chairperson of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
1978–1980
Succeeded by
Sean Farren
Preceded by
Don Canning
General Secretary of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
1981–1983
Succeeded by
Eamon Hanna
Preceded by
Seamus Mallon
Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
2001–2004
Succeeded by
Alasdair McDonnell
Northern Ireland Forum
New forum Member for Upper Bann
1996–1998
Forum dissolved
Northern Ireland Assembly
New assembly MLA for Upper Bann
1998–2003
Succeeded by
Dolores Kelly
Political offices
New office Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
1999–2000
Vacant
Office suspended
Title next held by
self
Vacant
Office suspended
Title last held by
self
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
2000–2002
Vacant
Office suspended
Title next held by
Michelle Gildernew
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