Gino O'Boyle
Quick Facts
Biography
Gino O'Boyle (born 1984) is a politician from Sligo who has represented the Sligo local electoral area on Sligo County Council since 2015. He succeeded his father Seamie, who was a prominent politician with a national profile, when he died suddenly. O'Boyle is a member of the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, the Regional Health Forum West, the Sligo Harbour Advisory Committee, the Sligo Music Fest Company and the Board of The Model. He holds the first seat ever won by his party outside Leinster.
Death of father
Seamie O'Boyle was elected to Sligo County Council for the People Before Profit Alliance in 2014, out-polling five sitting members of Sligo Borough Council, including the Mayor of Sligo, to become his party's first ever candidate elected in Sligo. After his election he served as Deputy Mayor of Sligo. His work attracted praise from Bishop Christy Jones. Seamie died suddenly on the night of 11 August 2015 aged only in his late fifties after taking a heart attack while driving through Sligo. His death received national attention and media coverage.
Co-option
Shortly afterwards, with a seat now vacant on Sligo County Council, People Before Profit agreed to nominate Seamie's eldest son Gino for co-option in his place. Gino said: "I often talked with my father about replacing him one day but little did we realise it would be so soon". Alongside one of his sisters, Gino marched in memory of his father at the Right2Water anti-water tax demonstration held in Dublin shortly after the sudden death. His father had been organising Sligo's participation in this when he died. Sligo County Council co-opted him at its meeting on 14 September 2015, proposed by Councillor Declan Bree, seconded by Councillor Sean MacManus and unanimously agreed by members.
Personal life
O'Boyle lives at Forthill in Sligo. As his father did he coaches soccer. He has a younger brother and two younger sisters.