Albert Dolan, one of the youngest candidates in the country and County Galway, at just twenty years of age is hoping to secure a seat for the Fianna Fáil team in this year’s council elections for the Athenry-Oranmore area.
The Athenry-Oranmore area is currently undergoing significant changes in terms of who will represent the area.
With only three of the seven councillors seeking to retain their seats and no sitting Fianna Fáil councillor, Dolan believes, it’s anyone’s race.
“I just want people to know that I’m out on the doors day in day out and I want to be their representative,” Albert is also very busy sitting second year College exams at NUIG where he is completing a BComm Accounting degree.
Recently Albert and two other students were recipients of the NUIG Explore Student Innovation award where their idea, an app designed to reward students for studying called RewardEd, was awarded €2000 in funding.
This is Albert’s first time stepping into the political arena. He believes that young people are seriously under represented when he says, “If there is going to be seven councillors in the area there needs to be one for young people to bring balance to the council chamber.”
“I’m hoping to be that person and I want to bring a new passion for public representation to the people of the Athenry-Oranmore area and most importantly, listen to people’s concerns,”.
Dolan also comments on the low percentage of people that turn out to vote, “The disheartening thing for candidates is that only 54% of people turn out to vote. A lot of people have lost faith in the system and their representatives. If people want change, they need to vote for it,” Albert wants to advocate for young people becoming involved in the democratic process. With the elections on May 24, the race is certainly heating up and no doubt Dolan will be one to watch.
