The Social Democrats will seek to have an elected representative on Clare County Council for the first time after the local elections in May.
Three candidates have been confirmed to represent the party which was founded in July 2015 by Catherine Murphy, Stephen Donnelly and Roisin Shorthall. Donnelly has since left the party and is now Fianna Fáil’s Spokesperson on Health.
Beckha Doyle is the first confirmed female candidate in the Killaloe Municipal District. She has been Chairperson of the Social Democrats’ Clare and Limerick branches. The Tuamgraney native currently works in e-commerce and has been a volunteer of Foróige for the past nine years.
Law student, Chris Kirwan is the youngest candidate so far on the ballot paper in the Ennis Municipal District. A former President of the NUIG debating society, Kirwan joined the Social Democrats shortly after the Marriage Referendum.
In the Shannon Municipal District, Betty Walsh who has been active in politics for over thirty years contests her first election in the county.
