John O'Dowd

For the 19th-century politician, see John O'Dowd (Sligo MP).

John Fitzgerald O'Dowd (born 10 May 1967) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann since 2003, and has served as Minister for Finance since February 2025.^[1][2] He served as Minister for Infrastructure from May to October 2022, and again from February 2024 until February 2025. He served as Minister for Education in the Stormont Executive from 2011 to 2016. He briefly took on the duties of deputy First Minister in 2011 while Martin McGuinness ran in the 2011 Irish presidential election.

John O'Dowd MLA
O'Dowd in 2021
Minister for Finance
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 February 2025
First Minister	Michelle O'Neill
Preceded by	Caoimhe Archibald
Minister for Infrastructure
In office 3 February 2024 – 3 February 2025
First Minister	Michelle O'Neill
Preceded by	Himself (2022)
Succeeded by	Liz Kimmins
In office 16 May 2022 – 27 October 2022
First Minister	Vacant
Preceded by	Nichola Mallon
Succeeded by	Himself (2024)
Minister for Education
Acting 16 May 2011 – 25 May 2016 Serving with Peter Robinson
First Minister	Peter Robinson
Preceded by	Caitríona Ruane
Succeeded by	Peter Weir
Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
In office 20 September 2011 – 31 October 2011
Preceded by	Martin McGuinness
Succeeded by	Martin McGuinness
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Upper Bann
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 November 2003
Preceded by	Dara O'Hagan
Constituency	Loughside
Member of Craigavon Borough Council
In office 21 May 1997 – 5 May 2011
Preceded by	Brendan McConville
Succeeded by	Mairéad O'Dowd
Personal details
Born	John Fitzgerald O'Dowd (1967-05-10) 10 May 1967 (age 58) Tullylish, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Sinn Féin
Spouse	Mary O'Dowd
Children	3
Occupation	Politician

In 2019, O'Dowd launched an unsuccessful bid to unseat Michelle O'Neill as Vice President of Sinn Féin at the party's ard fheis and received the endorsement of Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew. However, he refused to give media interviews to explain his decision to challenge O'Neill.^[3]

Early career

O'Dowd was born in 1967 in Tullylish, a rural community between Lurgan and Banbridge.^[4] He had trained as a chef before engaging in politics.^[5] He began his political career serving for 14 years as a councillor on Craigavon Borough Council and previously served as a school governor.^[6] O'Dowd has served as Chair of Upper Bann Sinn Féin and a member of the party's Six County Executive, O'Dowd was leader of the Sinn Féin group on Craigavon Council.^[6] In 2003 he was elected as MLA for Upper Bann and in 2005 unsuccessfully contested the same-named Westminster constituency. Between 2007 and 2011 he was Sinn Féin group leader in the Assembly and served as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee before becoming a member of the Education Committee in 2008.^[4]

On the 13 May 2022, he was confirmed as the 'caretaker' Infrastructure Minister replacing Nichola Mallon of the SDLP who failed to retain her seat in the previous week's election. He took office on 16 May 2022.^[7]

Acting deputy First Minister

After Sinn Féin nominated Martin McGuinness as its candidate in the 2011 Irish presidential election, O'Dowd took over the duties of deputy First Minister on a temporary basis from 20 September to 31 October 2011.^[8]

Personal life

O'Dowd is married and has three children.^[4]