ABOUT DECLAN BREE
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 County Council in 1974 and has retained his seat at each subsequent election, topping the poll in the most recent Local Election (May 2014)
He was also a member of Sligo Corporation (Sligo Borough Council) from 1974 until it was abolished by government in 2014. He served as Mayor of Sligo in 2004 and was Chairman of Sligo County Council in 1986.
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 and the E.U. Committee of the Regions. He is a former Chairperson of the Regional Health Forum West and former Chair of the Western River Basin Advisory Council. 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 Israeli blockade of Gaza.
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). He is the Chairperson of the Sligo branch of the United Left and of People First. He is Secretary of the Gralton Labour History Committee (Leitrim). He is a patron of the People’s Movement - Gluaiseacht an Phobail
He is a member of SIPTU and is a former member of the Western branch Committee of the Federated Workers Union of Ireland.
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 he was Cathaoirleach of the host branch of Comhaltas in 1989/91 when Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann was first awarded to Sligo. He is a member of the Board of the Hawk's Well Theatre and he is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Strandhill Community Maritime Centre.
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.