First-time local election candidate Adam O’Ceallaigh said he’s running because his constituency wants someone “young” and “green”. 

At the age of 22, Mr O’Ceallaigh is a Green Party candidate for Ballinamore, Leitrim, the youngest Leitrim candidate and the first Green Party candidate for Ballinamore. 

He said it was the lack of Green Party candidates was “the exact reason” he chose to run in local elections. 

“It was to give people that option to vote for a Green voice and have a Green voice representative,” he told The Anton Savage Show. 

“I wasn’t just going to be offering a Green voice, I was going to be offering a young voice, an energetic voice. 

“I’m 22, I just finished Trinity, when I go knock on the doors, people do see that I have the ability to bring change.” 

Local elections taking shape

Another first-time candidate is Ali Morris, running for the Social Democrats in Mullingar, Co Westmeath. 

She said she studied politics seven years ago, working in Leinster House, where she realised “politics is for everybody”. 

“If you want to get things done in your local area, you have to throw your hat in the ring,” she said. 

“Similarly, this is the first time the SocDems have a candidate in Mullingar.” 

Fianna Fáil candidate Lynda Prendergast will not be the first candidate from her party in Tallaght but is also in her first local election run. 

“It’s the way to get things done,” she said. “I advocated many years for amenities. 

“I have the time now – I'm a mother, my children are a bit older, I have the time that I can give to this now.” 

The hot topics

Discussing the most relevant issues in elections, Ms Morris said people have a lot of local concerns – but also personal concerns. 

“Obviously everybody talks about housing,” she said. “But i find that they want to know what I’m about. 

“For me personally... I work in the arts, we have a lot of amazing creatives living in Mongolia, but not that many art spaces.” 

Ms Prendergast said immigration is often mentioned in Tallaght, which she “feeds back into the party”. 

“Crime comes up,” she said. “And there's a big growth in population in the area – I facilitate the Garda clinic where the Garda will come in and talk for an hour.” 

Mr O’Ceallaigh said a major issue people report in rural areas is “communities collapsing”. 

“The post office moving out of the town no more bank, the last pub closing,” he said. 

“That’s what I’m trying to address.” 

Local elections will take place on June 7th, with the deadline to register to vote May 20th. 

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