59 candidates have registered for the local elections in Clare.
The final list has been confirmed this Monday afternoon following close of nominations on Saturday, with candidates having up until noon today to withdraw should they wish.
28 seats in total are up for grabs; 7 in both the Ennis and Shannon electoral areas, 4 in the Ennistymon electoral area and 5 in each in the Kilrush and Killaloe electoral areas.
Among the final list of candidates are 23 sitting Councillors, while there are 16 female candidates, representing a rise of 6 on the number of women who contested the 2019 Local Elections.
In the Ennis Electoral Area, 13 candidates are in the race for 7 seats, including five sitting Councillors, namely Fianna Fáil Cllrs Tom O’Callaghan, Pat Daly and Clare Colleran Molloy and Fine Gael Cllrs Paul Murphy and Mary Howard.
Entering the race for Fianna Fáil is Ennis Special Needs Assistant Antoinette Baker Bashua. Clarecastle-based postman Tommy Guilfoyle is running for Sinn Féin, Ennis-based Scientist Bridget Ginnity is representing the Green party ,Trade Union Representative Seamus Ryan is running for Labour and Community Development Worker Hilary Tonge is on the ticket for the Social Democrats.
Three Ennis-based Independent candidates have also registered in the Ennis electoral area; Retail Assistant Ruairí Keenan and Energy Consultant Amanda Major and Software Engineer Jacek Kazimierz Kwasny.
In the Ennistymon Electoral Area, 9 candidates are in the running for 4 seats, including four sitting Councillors; Lahinch Green Party Cllr Liam Grant, Lisdoonvarna Fine Gael Cllr Joe Garrihy, Corofin Fianna Fáil Cllr Joe Killeen and Enntymon Fianna Fáil Cllr Shane Talty.
Corofin-based Conor O’Sullivan, representing Sinn Féin, is among the hopefuls entering the race, along with Independent Kilmihil Farm Worker Pam O’Loughlin, Gort-based stone mason Michael Loughrey who’s running for The Irish People, former Lahinch Fine Gael Councillor Bill Slattery and Ennistymon Labour candidate and Impresario Denis Vaughan.
In the Killaloe Electoral Area, 9 candidates are in the running for 5 seats, among them five sitting councillors, namely Fianna Fáil Cllrs Alan O’Callaghan of Sixmilebridge, Maghera-based Pat Hayes and Killaloe-based Tony O’Brien, as well as Fine Gael Cllrs Pat Burke from Whitegate and Joe Cooney of Bodyke.
Joining them in the race for Sinn Féin is Crusheen Lecturer /Artist / Writer Dr Martina Cleary, along with Mountshannon Social Democrats candidate and Lecturer/Business Consultant Fiona Levie, Broadford Farmer and Independent Ireland candidate Matthew Moroney and Mountshannon Training Course Director Audrey Flynn, who’s running for the Green Party.
In the Kilrush Electoral Area, there are 13 candidates running for 5 seats, including sitting Fianna Fáil Councillors Cillian Murphy of Doonaha and Rita McInerney from Doonbeg, Independent Kilrush Cllr Ian Lynch and Cross Fine Gael Cllr Gabriel Keating.
Sinn Féin Business Owner Dawn Bennett, Kilkee farmer and Independent Ireland representative Kevin Hassett and Lisseycasey Farmer John Hill representing the Irish Freedom Party have also entered the race, as well as Fianna Fáil’s Alan Troy, a Community Employment Supervisor from Lissycasey and Quilty-based Clerical Administrator with Aer Lingus Michael Shannon.
Teacher and Green Party representative Susan Griffin from Ballyea is also in the running, along with Fine Gael’s Therese Doohan from Mullagh and Independents Dinny Gould from Cree and Quilty Farmer and Barber Joseph Woulfe.
Finally, there are 15 candidates running for 7 seats in the Shannon Electoral Area, including sitting Shannon Sinn Fein Councillor Donna McGettigan, Independent Cllrs Michael Begley of Clonlara and PJ Ryan of Cratloe, Cratloe Fianna Fáil Cllr Pat O’Gorman and Sixmilebridge Councillor John Crowe.
Challengers include Shannon Artist/Teacher James Ryan who is running for Sinn Fein, Newmarket on Fergus Project Manager/Film Maker John Haugh representing Aontú, Independents Keith McNamara, a Shannon-based Data Assistant, Retired Civil Servant Pat Barry of Shannon and Sixmilebridge Businessman Conor O’Brien.
Also in the running for Fine Gael are Val Gillane from Clonlara and former Shannon-based Senator Tony Mulcahy, as well as Fianna Fáil’s Rachel Hartigan, a student from Ardnacrusha and Parliamentary Assistant David Griffin from Newmarket On Fergus.
Shannon Airport Security Officer Fursa Cavanagh from Limerick who’s representing the Green Party, makes up the last of the Shannon LEA candidates.
FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES
ENNIS Local Electoral Area
Tommy Guilfoyle (SF)
Hilary Tonge (SD)
Tom O’Callaghan (FF)
Pat Daly (FF)
Clare Colleran Molloy (FF)
Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF)
Bridget Ginnity (GP)
Ruairí Keenan (IND)
Amanda Major (IND)
Paul Murphy (FG)
Mary Howard (FG)
Seamus Ryan (LAB)
Jacek Kazimierz Kwasny (IND)
ENNISTYMON Local Electoral Area
Conor O’Sullivan (SF)
Sam O’Loughlin (IND)
Liam Grant (GP)
Michael Loughrey (IP)
Shane Talty (FF)
Joe Killeen (FF)
Joe Garrihy (FG)
Bill Slattery (FG)
Denis Vaughan (LAB)
KILLALOE Local Electoral Area
Dr Martina Cleary (SF)
Fiona Levie (SD)
Matthew Moroney (II)
Alan O’Callaghan (FF)
Tony O’Brien (FF)
Pat Hayes (FF)
Audrey Flynn (GP)
Joe Cooney (FG)
Pat Burke Whitegate (FG)
KILRUSH Local Electoral Area
Dawn Bennett (SF)
Kevin Hassett (II)
John Hill (IFP)
Alan Troy (FF)
Michael Shannon (FF)
Cillian Murphy (FF)
Rita McInerney (FF)
Dinny Gould (IND)
Susan Griffin (GP)
Joe Woulfe (IND)
Ian Lynch (IND)
Gabriel Keating (FG)
Therese Doohan (FG)
SHANNON Local Electoral Area
James Ryan (SF)
Donna McGettigan (SF)
John Haugh (AON)
Michael Begley (IND)
Keith McNamara (IND)
Rachel Hartigan (FF)
David Griffin (FF)
Pat O’Gorman (FF)
Fursa Cavanagh (GP)
Tony Mulcahy (FG)
Val Gillane (FG)
John Crowe (FG)
P.J. Ryan (IND)
Pat Barry (IND)
Conor O’Brien (IND)
