Dara Calleary (44) is from a family with a strong allegiance to Fianna Fáil and has been a TD since 2007.
His grandfather Phelim Calleary was a TD for Mayo North from 1952 to 1969 and his father, Seán, was TD for Mayo East from 1973 to 1992.
The Fianna Fáil deputy leader cut his teeth as a member of the party’s national executive, to which he was elected in 1979, serving on the party’s ruling council until 2007.
From 2009 to 2011 he was minister of state for labour affairs and public service transformation. He has also served as party spokesman on justice, equality and defence, spokesman on jobs, enterprise and innovation.
He has a BA in business and politics from Trinity College Dublin.
A man who does not generally court media attention, he came into the spotlight last year when fellow Fianna Fáil TD in Mayo Lisa Chambers admitted to voting for him in the Dáil while he was doing a radio interview.
