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Brian Crowley

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For the Canadian politician, seeBrian Lee Crowley.

Brian Crowley
Member of the European Parliament
In office
24 June 2004 – 24 May 2019
ConstituencySouth
In office
1 July 1994 – 24 June 2004
ConstituencyMunster
Senator
In office
17 February 1993 – 31 August 1994
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born(1964-03-04)4 March 1964(age 60)
Blackrock, Dublin,Ireland
Political partyFianna Fáil
Other political
affiliations		ECR
Parent
Alma materUniversity College Cork

Brian Donal Crowley(born 4 March 1964) is an Irish formerFianna Fáilpolitician who served as aMember of the European Parliament(MEP) for theSouthconstituency from 1994 to 2019. He served as aSenatorfrom 1993 to 1994, after beingnominated by the Taoiseach.[1]

Early and personal life

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Crowley was born inBlackrock, Dublinin 1964, but was raised inBandon, County Cork,where he attended Hamilton High School.[2]He received a diploma in law in 1993 fromUniversity College Cork.His father,Flor Crowley,served as aTDfor various Cork constituencies for most of the period between the1965 general electionand theFebruary 1982 election.[3]

Crowley is awheelchair-user as a result of an accident at age 16.[4]

Politics

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In 1993, he wasnominated by the TaoiseachAlbert Reynoldsto the20th Seanad Éireann.[5]At the1994 European Parliament electionhe was elected to theEuropean Parliamentfor theMunster constituency.He retained his seat at the three subsequent elections. He was a member of Ireland'sCouncil of Statefrom 1997 to 2004,[6] Committee on Industry, Research and Energyand the delegation for relations with theUnited States.Crowley also served as a substitute member of theCommittee on Legal Affairs.

Crowley stated in an interview withThe Irish Timeson 29 September 2008 that he would like to run forPresident of Irelandat the2011 presidential election.[6]

On 12 February 2009, the Committee on Legal Affairs of theEuropean Parliamentapproved a report drafted by Brian Crowley to extend thecopyrightterm of music recordings from 50 years to 95 years.[7][8]

He was co-president of theUnion for Europe of the Nationsuntil 2009, when Fianna Fáil joined the ALDE group.

In June 2011, Crowley refused to release details of his expense and allowance claims as a member of the European Parliament.[9]

Again in July 2011, Crowley declared to Fianna Fáil party colleagues, that he was available to run for the presidency,[10]but had been advised by party colleague Fianna Fáil TDWillie O'Deanot to seek his party's nomination.[11]In the context of failure to be nominated for the presidential election by his party, Crowley withdrew his candidature for the nomination.[12][13]

From 2011 to 2013, Crowley had trouble withsoreson his legs arising from his paralysis.[14]These required repeated treatment which kept him out of the public eye.[14]In July 2013, he said his health was improved and he intended to run for re-election in2014.[14][15]

In June 2014, he joined theEuropean Conservatives and Reformistsgroup in the European Parliament, against the wishes of the Fianna Fáil leadership.[16]He lost the Fianna Fáil party whip on 24 June 2014.[17]Fianna Fáil stated that the principles of the ECR group were incompatible with the party.[18]

In December 2015, concerns were raised about Crowley's frequent absence from the European Parliament due to ill health.[19]A news report in May 2016 stated that Crowley had failed to attend any votes since being re-elected over two years previously.[20]In March 2018, Politico Europe included him in their list of "The 20 MEPs who matter, for the wrong reasons".[21]In June 2018, theIrish Examinerreported that Crowley had not voted in the Parliament since his re-election on 2014.[22]He did not cast a single vote in the 2014 to 2019 session.[23]

On 17 January 2019, Crowley announced at a news conference that he would not seek re-election in the European elections in May 2019, and would be retiring from public life.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Brian Crowley".Oireachtas Members Database.Archivedfrom the original on 8 November 2018.Retrieved29 September2008.
  2. ^"Crowley likely to join race for Áras".Cork Independent. 24 April 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 4 January 2012.
  3. ^"Flor Crowley".ElectionsIreland.org.Retrieved5 January2023.
  4. ^O'Connor, Aidan (12 May 2009)."Crowley tells wavering voters to hang tough".Irish Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 28 May 2011.Retrieved8 June2009.
  5. ^"Brian Crowley".ElectionsIreland.org.Archivedfrom the original on 17 May 2009.Retrieved29 September2008.
  6. ^ab"Fianna Fáil MEP Crowley says he would like to run for president".The Irish Times.29 September 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 20 May 2011.Retrieved29 September2008.
  7. ^"Music copyright to be extended to 95 years".European Parliament.12 February 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 15 February 2009.Retrieved16 February2009.
  8. ^"Extending copyright is music to major labels' ears".The Irish Times.23 January 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 15 October 2010.Retrieved16 February2009.
  9. ^Byrne, Luke (24 June 2011)."Two MEPs in President race refuse to give expense details".Irish Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 25 November 2011.Retrieved16 August2011.
  10. ^Sheahan, Fionnan (29 July 2011)."Crowley seeks FF nod to join race for Aras".Irish Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 8 September 2012.Retrieved16 August2011.
  11. ^Minihan, Mary (19 August 2011)."Crowley advised against Áras bid".The Irish Times.Archivedfrom the original on 19 August 2011.Retrieved19 August2011.
  12. ^"Another fateful blow dealt to the Soldiers of Destiny".Irish Independent.17 September 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 18 November 2011.Retrieved18 September2011.
  13. ^"Michael D heads presidential poll but 33pc yet to decide".Irish Independent.8 September 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 18 October 2012.Retrieved18 September2011.
  14. ^abcÓ Fátharta, Conall (8 July 2013)."I wanted my legs amputated, says MEP Crowley".Irish Examiner.Archivedfrom the original on 27 May 2014.Retrieved8 July2013.
  15. ^Riegel, Ralph (8 July 2013)."Crowley denies feud with FF leader Martin".Irish Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 18 August 2013.Retrieved8 July2013.
  16. ^"Crowley angers Fianna Fáil by joining conservative euro group".RTÉ News.23 June 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 23 June 2014.Retrieved23 June2014.
  17. ^"Fianna Fáil's only MEP has joined a Eurosceptic grouping led by Britain's Tory party".TheJournal.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 18 August 2014.Retrieved23 June2014.
  18. ^"Brian Crowley loses Fianna Fáil whip".RTÉ News.24 June 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 24 June 2014.Retrieved24 June2014.
  19. ^"Absent MEP Crowley has no staff in Brussels".The Sunday Times.6 December 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved7 December2015.
  20. ^Lynch, Suzanne (11 May 2016)."Attendance rate of Irish MEPs at European Parliament improves".The Irish Times.Archivedfrom the original on 23 October 2017.Retrieved1 February2017.
  21. ^"The 20 MEPs who matter, for the wrong reasons — The ranking".Politico.eu.22 March 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 22 March 2018.Retrieved22 March2018.
  22. ^McEnroe, Juno (5 June 2018)."Renewed calls for MEP Brian Crowley to resign or clarify position".Irish Examiner.Archivedfrom the original on 12 June 2018.Retrieved7 June2018.
  23. ^"Brian Crowley".VoteWatch.eu.Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2018.Retrieved15 January2019.
  24. ^"MEP Brian Crowley announces retirement on health grounds".RTÉ News.17 January 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 17 January 2019.Retrieved17 January2019.
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