Sinn Féin’s Trevor Ó Clochartaigh has been nominated to run for a seat in Seanad Éireann following his strong performance in the recent general elections.
Mr Ó Clochartaigh has been nominated by the party to run for the Seanad’s Agricultural Panel. He is one of four candidates the party is running for the Upper House of the Oireachtas.
Mr Ó Clochartaigh, from An Cheathrú Rua, is coming to this campaign following an impressive performance in the February’s general election in which he took which 3,808 first preferences.
This was notable for a first general election run but what made it all the more remarkable was that he comprehensively outpolled a sitting senator (Niall Ó Brolcháin ) and the Mayor of Galway (Michael J Crowe ).
Mr Ó Clochartaigh also lasted until the ninth count, taking a total vote of 4,683, lasting longer in the overall race then former TD Frank Fahey, Sen Ó Brolcháin, Mayor Crowe, and sitting councillors Tomas Welby and Hildegarde Naughton.
His strong performance was a combination of an increase in the Left vote in Galway West, the protest vote against a despised Fianna Fáil administration, and a healthy personal vote/Connemara vote for Mr Ó Clochartaigh, who is widely known and liked in the area.
In the Seanad election, Mr Ó Clochartaigh will need to canvass and secure the votes of sitting senators, TDs, and councillors but he will have support from Sinn Féin’s 12 TDs and the party’s councillors throughout the State.
“What I am drawing on in my campaign is my experience of working with regional development bodies, co-operatives, farming and my work with Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán,” Mr Ó Clochartaigh told the Galway Advertiser. “I want to represent those groups and Galway and the west and make sure their issues of concern are brought to the fore.”
Seanad Éireann faces an uncertain future with FG proposing to abolish the house and widespread public questioning over its merit and usefulness.
“The Seanad is not functioning as well as it should,” said Mr Ó Clochartaigh, “but Dep Pearse Doherty showed in his time in the Seanad that it can be successfully used to raise issues and develop policies and if elected I hope to be able to do the same.”
