Declan Bree (born 1951)

Declan Bree was born in 1951, is a former Irish Labour Party politician, founder and former member of the Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Party, is currently an independent polician and a member of Sligo Borough Council and Sligo County Council.

He was elected a TD for Sligo-Leitrim in the 1992 general election but lost his seat in the 1997 election, an Irish politician, founder and former member of the Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation, is currently the longest serving member of Sligo Borough Council.

Councillor Declan Bree, has an outstanding record in both local and national politics as a campaigning voice for social justice, he was first elected to Sligo Corporation and Sligo County Council in 1974 and has retained his seat on both authorities at each subsequent election, he was Mayor of Sligo in 2004 and was Chairman of Sligo County Council in 1986.

Declan, former mayor of Sligo Town, is also the outgoing Chairman of the Health Service Executive’s Regional Health Forum West, and he is also outgoing Chairman of the Western River Basin Advisory Council.

He has served at many levels in local, regional and national politics, including membership of the Borough of Sligo Vocational Education Committee , the County Sligo Vocational Education Committee, Sligo Harbour Commissioners, the Board of Sligo North West Airport, the Sligo/Leitrim Regional Development Organisation, the Board of Management of the Sligo Institute of Technology , the North Western Health Board, the Border Regional Authority, the Governing Body of University College Galway , the E.U. Committee of the Regions and he served as a Dail Deputy for Sligo/Leitrim from 1992 to 1997.

A member of Ireland‘s radical socialist youth organisation the Connolly Youth Movement in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, he went on to become National Chairperson of the movement. A founder and former Chairperson and General Secretary of the Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation he has been a lifelong political activist campaigning on issues stretching from the campaign against the war in Vietnam and the movement for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland to the current campaign against the war in Iraq.

He was a member of the Labour Party from 1992 until his resignation from the Party in May 2007, he was the Sligo/Leitrim Campaign Director in both Divorce referendum campaigns and he was a life long member of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement, he was also active in solidarity campaigns with Chile, Nicaragua and East Timor, he continues to actively support the international campaign of solidarity with Palestine and with the Republic of Cuba.

He is the President of the Connolly Forum (Sligo) and he is Secretary of the Gralton Labour History Committee (Leitrim) and is a patron of the People’s Movement – Gluaiseacht an Phobail.

An active trade unionist he is a former member of the Western branch Committee of the Federated Workers Union of Ireland, he is currently a member of the Sligo branch of SIPTU and a member of the Executive of the Local Authority Members Association.

Involved in numerous voluntary and cultural organisations over the years he is a member of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, a former Sligo County Secretary of Comhaltas, and was Cathaoirleach of the host branch of Comhaltas when Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann was awarded to Sligo.

Declan is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Hawk’s Well Theatre and a member of the Board of the Model Arts Centre and Niland Gallery.

As a pastime Declan Bree enjoys reading, attending the occasional play or concert when time permits, listening to good traditional and folk music and enjoying a pint of Guinness in good company.

In May 2007, Declan Bree resigned from the Labour Party, citing differences with their pre-electoral pact with Fine Gael, and his clashes with party leader, Pat Rabbitte.