Bríd Rodgers

Bríd Rodgers (born Bríd Stratford (born 20 February 1935, in Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland, is an Irish nationalist former politician.
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 Civil Rights Movement from 1965. She was a founder member of the SDLP, becoming Chairman in 1978 and General Secretary in 1981. In 1983 she was appointed to the Irish Senate by Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, and served until 1987.

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 and Italian.