Carlow man becomes one of the youngest council chairs in Ireland
A Carlow county councillor has been elected as the Cathaoirleach of the Muinebheag Municipal District, becoming one the youngest people in Ireland to chair a local authority district at just 25 years of age.
Cllr Daniel Pender (25), from the village of Ballinabranna in Co Carlow, was elected to Carlow County Council in 2024 as a first-time candidate.
He is currently the only Fianna Fáil councillor in the Muinebheag Municipal District.
'It is a huge honour and privilege to receive the chain of office at such a young age,' enthused Cllr Pender. 'Over the next year, I'll focus on securing more housing and pushing for better mental health supports in our communities. I'm committed to representing everyone across the district.'
Cllr Pender also expressed appreciation for the people who have helped him during his journey through politics.
'I want to sincerely thank my family for their constant support, and my supporters who backed me as an outsider candidate. Without their belief and encouragement, none of this would have been possible.'
Follow Independent Carlow on Facebook
Cllr Pender is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin with a degree in Business and Economics. He began his career training with one of the Big Four accounting firms and also previously served as an assistant to now Minister Jennifer Murnane O'Connor.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Crash: Brian Cowen and the unravelling of Ireland
Brian Cowen became Taoiseach in 2008, just as Ireland's economy was going into free-fall. For the next three years he struggled to lead the country through some of its darkest days, with public opinion souring against him and Fianna Fáil . In a new three-part series from The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast, Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy look back at how Cowen became Taoiseach and his short, turbulent time in power. The podcast follows his early promise as the heir to an Offaly Fianna Fáil dynasty, through his rise to power and then his doomed attempts to fix the crisis confronting the Irish banking system and the chaotic end of his political career. Part one is available now. Parts two and three will be published on Wednesday August 13th and Monday August 18th.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Fianna Fáil minister says Conor McGregor 'not fit' to be president
Fianna Fáil minister Darragh O'Brien has said Conor McGregor would 'not be fit' to become president of Ireland. The transport minister said that he does not envisage a situation where the former MMA fighter will get the backing of enough politicians to get on the ballot paper. To enter the race to replace President Michael D Higgins, a person must receive either 20 nominations from members of the Oireachtas, TDs and senators, or four county or city councils. In recent days, Mr McGregor set up a petition seeking people to express their wish for him to be on the ballot paper. The Sunday Times reported that Mr McGregor is considered a legal challenge to the eligibility rules. Speaking at the opening of Woodbrook Dart station in Shankill, south Dublin, Mr O'Brien said: 'Like any citizen, he's entitled to take a case, should he wish, but the constitution is clear on that. 'The nomination process is clear. I don't envisage he'll be nominated to run for president. 'I think it's open to any citizen to take a challenge, should they wish. 'But the office of Uachtaráin na hÉireann is the highest office in the land. It's a critically important office. 'If you look at the work that Michael D Higgins has done over the last 14 years and representing our country abroad with such distinction, I would just ask people to draw the comparison to what our president has done and what someone like Conor McGregor might do. 'I don't think he would be fit to hold that office.' Earlier this month, Mr McGregor lost his appeal against a civil jury finding that he assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. In a civil case heard last November, she alleged that Mr McGregor raped her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, and she sued him for damages. Mr McGregor denied the allegation and said that they had consensual sex. A jury found McGregor had assaulted Ms Hand and awarded her €250,000 in damages. He was also ordered to pay Ms Hand's costs in the case. To date, in the contest for the presidency, Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness and Independent TD Catherine Connolly have been declared as candidates and have sufficient backing to secure a place on the ballot paper. Separately, businessman Gareth Sheridan has declared his bid to become an independent candidate. Aged 35, he would be the youngest ever candidate. He has stepped aside as CEO of the US-based company Nutriband to facilitate his bid. He added that he is 'confident we have at least the necessary four local authorities to consider my nomination as stipulated in Article 12.2.2 of the constitution'. "I believe there has never been a time in our country's history where the choice of a younger candidate being on the ballot paper has been more relevant or important than today," Mr Sheridan said.
The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
Being a Gen Z TD: I've been surprised by how little ministers actually engage in debates
AS THE DÁIL summer recess continues, we have been working through the list of newly elected TDs to learn more about how they are adjusting to life in Leinster House. Yesterday, we heard from Fianna Fáil's Martin Daly , today we catch up with Sinn Féin's TD for Galway East, Louis O'Hara. Like a number of other first-time TDs in this Dáil, O'Hara had two election wins under his belt in 2024. The 27-year-old had his first electoral success in last year's local elections and six months later won a seat in Dáil Éireann, with 14% of the first preference votes in the constituency. Before this, O'Hara unsuccessfully contested the 2019 local elections and the 2020 general election. After finishing up in university, he cut his teeth working as a constituency manager for Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus. He speaks to The Journal about getting to grips with the new role and how he still isn't sure what approach he would like to see his party take in the upcoming presidential election. Is life as a TD what you expected? 'It's a very busy role, which was something that I had anticipated. It can be challenging at times to balance the work you are doing in the Dáil and the work in the constituency. 'So I suppose going into it, you don't really know what to expect in terms of how all of that is going to play out. I've been involved in politics for a few years, so I had some idea of what the demands of the role would be,' O'Hara said. Although he joined Sinn Féin at the age of 17, O'Hara said taking part in electoral politics wasn't something that was on his mind at the time, or even later when he was a university student in Galway. 'I was asked to run in the local elections in 2019 and agreed to do it and it all went from there. It wasn't something that I had chosen or anything like that, but once I got into it, I enjoyed it and felt I had something to offer to people, and it's kind of gone from there.' Advertisement Peak and pit What's been the highlight of the job so far? 'Every time you get a good outcome for someone. That's probably one of the best parts of the job, that you are in a position to affect change for people on a bigger level, which is very important, obviously, but also on an individual level as well. 'So every time you get a positive outcome, whether it's an individual constituent case, or getting a piece of local infrastructure progressed, or whatever it may be. That's always the highlight for me.' What's been the lowlight? 'That we haven't had any meaningful change in the State,' O'Hara said. 'We've the same government back in again, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. We have a worsening housing crisis and a cost of living crisis now that the government don't seem to be either aware of or willing to do anything about. 'So it's quite disappointing, to say the least, that things don't seem to be changing and that things are actually getting worse, and people are finding it more and more challenging in their day-to-day lives.' He added: 'With the Budget approaching now, you hear the soundings from government about how they don't want to introduce a cost of living package or anything like that. 'It's difficult to be optimistic about how things are going to play out for people who are struggling to get by at the moment, and people who are struggling with the housing crisis.' Any surprises? 'Sometimes when we bring issues forward or have debates in the [Dáil] chamber, the relevant minister will be sitting across from you and you bring forward issues to them, and I've been a bit surprised with how little they actually engage with the issues or the points that we make. 'The minister just reads off a prepared script, and doesn't engage at all with the often very valid points that are suggestions and solutions that are made by TDs. 'I think that the Dáil could be a lot more constructive in many ways, from that point of view.' Young people and politics O'Hara is one of a handful of TDs in the Dáil under the age of 30. Related Reads Being a first-time TD: Will I still be doing this at 80? I don't know but I love it for now. Being a first-time TD: I was told people like me don't go to college. This is a dream come true. Being a first-time TD: 'The hours are mad, if I finish at 9.30pm it feels like a half day' 'I'm a renter at the moment. I'm renting a room in a house. 'I've been renting on and off for a few years, and I've spent time living in the family home as well. So I've seen it from a few different angles. 'It's very difficult for renters when you're paying money every week that sort of disappears into a black hole. It's very difficult to save after that, and have any prospect of home ownership, even for renters who are on good incomes. So I definitely feel like I can relate to people in that position,' O'Hara said. 'I hope that my involvement in politics is a positive thing for young people and makes politics more engaging for young people, because it's something that we desperately need.' What route does he think Sinn Féin should take in the Presidential election? Sinn Féin is currently in the process of deciding whether to join with Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and the Green Party and back Independent TD Catherine Connolly for president or go their own way and run their own candidate. O'Hara said he isn't sure yet which approach he personally favours. 'To be perfectly honest, I'm quite torn on it. I can see the merits of both sides of the argument. Look it, this is being carefully considered at the moment, and we'll have a decision in due course.' Would he like the candidate to be party leader Mary Lou McDonald? 'I think Mary Lou McDonald would be an absolutely fantastic president. There would be no better person to be the representative of the Irish people. 'At the same time, I also think that she's an absolutely fantastic leader of the party in the Dáil, so I suppose that's one thing that has to be weighed up. But certainly, if she ran for president, I think she would do a fantastic job in the campaign, but more importantly, in the role.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
