*Tommy Guilfoyle. Photograph: John Mangan
CLARECASTLE’S Tommy Guilfoyle has said he is undecided on whether he will be putting his name forward to contest the 2024 local elections.
Currently Chair of Sinn Féin’s Ennis Cumann, Guilfoyle has stepped forward as a spokesperson on the Francis Street Alliance who are opposing the planned demolition of six properties to build a temporary car park as part of the Ennis 2040 Strategy.
Tommy was campaign manager for Violet-Anne Wynne (IND) when she was elected as a Sinn Féin TD, the first for the county in nearly 100 years at the 2020 General Election. He had also been involved with the successful campaign when Michael McNamara became a TD for the first time in 2011 as a Labour party candidate, he was elected in 2020 as an Independent.
He is currently the trade unions representative on Clare County Council’s Social Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC). This SPC deals with housing among other topics and Guilfoyle has been vocal on this topic and the need to build more houses across the county.
Given his prominent role within the Francis Street Alliance and his frequent appearances on local media particularly Clare FM, he is viewed as a likely contender for Sinn Féin in the Ennis Municipal District for next year’s local elections.
When asked by The Clare Echo if he would be putting his name on the ballot paper next year, Tommy stated, “I’ve no aspiration of any bid, not yet. People have said to me ‘Tommy will you come off the ditch, you’re like the hurler on the ditch’, I’ve been involved in the election of two TDs from the county, I’ve been involved in many other elections which weren’t successful, will Tommy come off the ditch is a decision I will have to have with my family and others like that.
“At the moment, I haven’t confirmed anything, we’re going to work hard in the community, I’m a spokesperson for the Francis Street Alliance, we’re working hard in the community to grow within the community and allow it to expand their voice and open up their voice to create change, we’re creating that for now and what happens in the future I’ll let you know if that changes”.
One protest has been held to date by the Francis Street Alliance to voice their opposition to the Ennis 2040 plans for the temporary car park where they marched to the offices of Clare County Council. When it was put to him by The Clare Echo if the exercise would have been better had they done it on a day that the Council offices were opened, Tommy replied, “Jees Páraic it’s great to see you joining the group now by giving us advice on what to do! By all means you’re welcome, if we need to address people and call them out of the offices and hand them a petition or letter, of course we will, if you have any more good ideas make sure to let us know because we will use them”.
Sinn Féin’s press office have ignored queries from The Clare Echo on when it will be holding selection conventions across Co Clare to formalise its ticket for the 2024 local elections.
