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One of the Fianna Fáil representatives involved in the 2016 government formation talks Charlie McConalogue (42) may have a similar role in coming weeks.
First elected in 2011 when the party numbers were decimated in the economic meltdown, he is a farmer and the party’s agriculture spokesman.
He previously acted as education spokesman.
A low-key operator he had a higher profile during the farmer protests when he warned of the decimation faced in agriculture and rural communities if proper prices and supports were not in place.
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From Gleneely, he is married and has constituency offices in Carndonough and Letterkenny.
He went to school in Carndonough and studied history, politics and economics at UCD where he first became involved in politics.
In his early days in Fianna Fáil he worked as a political organiser in party headquarters and also spent time in Australia before returning to Donegal to work on the family farm.
He was elected to Donegal County Council in 2009 and in 2011 to the then three-seat Donegal North East constituency on his first attempt.
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