If elected in the Galway West by-election this May, Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich could become the youngest deputy in Dáil Éireann, but only by a whisker.
Labour’s Cork North-Central TD, Eoghan Kenny, born in February 2000, is the first TD to be born in the 21st Century, but Nic Fhionnlaoich, if elected, might pip him as ‘Baby of the House,’ as she is eight days younger.
The Connemara native formally launched her campaign last weekend at an event in Galway city.
It was attended by Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan TD, and Dublin Rathdown’s Deputy Sinéad Gibney, for whom Míde works as parliamentary assistant. Senator Patricia Stephenson, who is based in the Carlow-Kilkenny area, is the party’s director of elections for Galway West.
More than 70 supporters attended the Harbour Hotel hooley last Saturday, which had an artistic flavour for a political function, and a youthful age profile. Supporters Mars Duignan and Stacey Ní Ghríofa read poetry, while Éabha Breathnach sang.
Born and raised in the Gaeltacht, Míde is a native Irish speaker. She has been involved in grassroots activism on housing, mental health, the Irish language and military neutrality. The 26-year-old previously served as welfare officer for UCD Students’ Union, and subsequently worked for Mental Health Reform.
Nic Fhionnlaoich works from home, in Trá Bháin, Lettermore, where broadband was rolled out only last year. She is passionate about rural affairs, telling the Advertiser: “You can have as much language policy as you want, but it’s the infrastructure that’s also necessary for rural communities… the ‘wrap around’ of health, transport and education is equally important.”
In 2022 she spoke out publicly about her experience of having a drink spiked with what was thought to be ‘date rape drug’ GHB while on holiday in Antwerp. She says this experience seems increasingly common amongst her peers, especially young women.
“My life has been shaped by my Galway West background, where communities come together and support each other time and again. However, I’ve also seen those same communities struggle socially and economically, having been failed and neglected by successive governments,” she said.
“Galway deserves a future without constant traffic jams; where there is real affordable housing, a thriving Gaeltacht and health services you can rely on. We just need to elect candidates who are genuinely committed to achieving these goals at local and national level.”
Nic Fhionnlaoich said she is personally against the current ring road plans, unless other public and active travel projects are accelerated. “I’m for light rail, but we need to be building stuff for it. There is over a billion euros earmarked for the Ring Road, pending planning, while all other public transport plans seem on hold,” she said. “We’ll hit peak congestion in 2030.”
The Social Democrats’ sole Galway city councillor, Alan Curran, ruled himself out as his party’s by-election candidate, citing work and health reasons, with Nic Fhionnlaoich being something of an unknown quantity in local politics, as most of her student activism and latter parliamentary work has been Dublin-focused.
It is understood Social Democrats leader, Holly Cairns TD, personally contacted a number of Soc Dem members and supporters living in Galway West to find a candidate, after Catherine Connolly was elected president last November, and a by-election became a certainty.
Nic Fhionnlaoich says she decided to put her name forward over Christmas after “casual” conversations with parliamentary party members.
Asked whether she would consider running in future local authority elections in County Galway if unsuccessful this May, she said: “I’m concentrating on winning this election, but Galway is my home.”
The Social Democrats are planning a public meeting in Galway on health, on Thursday, March 26, with more details to be advertised in local media soon.
Funded by Coimisiún na Meán’s Local Democracy scheme.
