Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn
Evanne Ní Chuilinn is a Fine Gael Senator, nominated to Seanad Éireann on February 7 th 2025 by an Tánaiste Simon Harris. Previously a household name as a sports broadcaster and journalist with the National Broadcaster in Ireland (RTÉ) for 20 years.
Originally from Kilkenny, Evanne has lived in Dublin 12 for fifteen years with her husband and three children, aged 14, 10 and 4. As a public figure, Evanne Ní Chuilinn has always championed good governance and gender equality in sport, and has become a leading voice in the Oireachtas for legislative reform and policy change across many areas of the Irish sporting landscape.
Educated at DCU, NUIG and UCD, her masters thesis in sport governance has informed a lot of her work as vice-chair of the Oireachtas Sport and Media Committee, and in the Seanad, where she has called for a review of the Sport Ireland Act 2015.
At a local level, Evanne Ní Chuilinn is actively campaigning in Dublin South Central for more access to sport and leisure facilities, and is engaged with local authority and National Governing Body decision makers. She believes firmly in the value of life-long access for all ages and abilities to sport and physical activity, for the benefit of good physical and mental health.
Evanne Ní Chuilinn has also been a strong advocate for improved access to addiction and mentalhealth services for all citizens, and has been very open about the loss of her younger brother Cormac to suicide in 2013.
Evanne is a proud Gaeilgóir and member of Comhchoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobal Labhartha na Gaeilge. An adoptee herself, her award winning self-authored documentary about the
history of adoption in Ireland was broadcast on TG4 in 2019.
A published author, her first book – The Great Irish Book of Gaelic Games – was published in 2023, with a second book due out in 2026; both children’s books about sport.
She has played sport all her life, and recently took up Gaelic Football with the JETS Gaelic4Mothers&Others at St. Jude’s GAA Club.