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Síle de Valera (pronounced ) (born 1954), is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Clare since 1977 and has previously served as Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht & the Islands (1997-2002).
Síle de Valera was born in 1954 in Dublin, Ireland. She was educated at Loreto Convent, Dublin and University College Dublin where she qualified as a career guidance teacher. She was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1977 for the Dublin Mid-County constituency. She held her seat until the 1981 General Election. In 1979 she was elected to the European Parliament for a five-year term. In 1987 she was elected TD for Clare and has been re-elected at every election since then. De Valera resigned from Fianna Fáil in 1993 due to the removal of the 'stopover' at Shannon Airport. When she rejoined the Party in 1994 the new leader, Bertie Ahern, appointed her to the front bench. In 1997 she became Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht & the Islands. In 2002 she lost her place at the Cabinet table but became a Junior Minister.
Síle de Valera comes from a famed political dynasty. She is the granddaughter of Fianna Fáil founder, first Taoiseach and third President of Ireland, Eamon de Valera. She is a niece of the former TD, Vivion de Valera and is a first cousin of the current Minister for Community Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív.
Preceded by: Michael D. Higgins | Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht & the Islands 1997-2002 | Succeeded by: Éamon Ó Cuív |