*Hilary Tonge. Photograph: Tom Micks
HILARY TONGE (SD) is set to get the nomination from the Social Democrats to contest the General Election.
It will be the first time that the Social Democrats contest a General Election in Clare having ran candidates in the 2019 and 2024 local elections unsuccessfully.
Tonge herself contested the local elections in June where she polled 598 first preference votes and was the fifth of thirteen candidates eliminated when she bowed out on the seventh count.
In advance of the local elections, she said, “I feel that people’s voices aren’t being heard, in fact they are being ignored” when discussing her reasons for entering politics.
She is the only candidate for Thursday’s selection convention which will be held at The Old Ground Hotel.
Founder of the women’s community hub Mná ag Gáire which is located in Tracklands Business Park in Ennis, Hilary has been active with the Mid-West Hospital Campaign. Mná ag Gáire was founded in response to a call-out to make PPE during the pandemic, now over 200 women attend the hub on a weekly basis.
In advance of the local elections, Hilary was involved with Save Ennis Town, a community group opposing the construction of buildings on car parks in Abbey Street and Parnell Street as part of the Ennis 2040 strategy.
Having moved to Ennis forty years ago, she has raised a family here and worked in the county town over the past four decades. She now lives on the Tulla Rd and works as a development worker with the Women’s Collective.
Fiona Levie (SD) who contested the local elections for the party in the Killaloe MD is not seeking the party’s nomination and instead has been elected as the Chairperson of its Clare branch succeeding Garry Miley.
At its recent AGM held via Zoom, the party elected a committee which will be led by Fiona and also includes Bernhard Rohrer (Vice Chairman), Jan Strozer (Treasurer), Victoria Olukitibi (Secretary) and Tony Long (PRO).
Mountshannon’s Fiona has also been elected to represent the branch at National Council alongside Oliver Brett with Owen Hynes as the substitute.
