Nuala Ahern was born on February 5, 1949 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 1989, she joined the Green Party. She began her political career in 1991 when she became elected to Wicklow County Council. Between June 1994 and June 2004 she was member of the European Parliament. During this period she was member of the Green Group in the European Parliament, member of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Petitions, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energ, member of the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy, the Delegation for relations with the United States, member of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Citizens' Rights, member of the Delegation to the EU-Romania Joint Parliamentary Committee and member of the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy. She was one of the founders of the Irish Women's Environment Network and the Wicklow Greens.