*Michael Leahy. Photograph: John Mangan
MICHAEL LEAHY (IFP), Kevin Hassett (IND) and Catriona Ni Catháin (SOC) have confirmed their candidacy in Clare for the General Elections.
All three were unsuccessful in separate elections five months ago for the European Parliament, Clare County Council and to become the Directly Elected Mayor of Limerick, respectively.
Leahy received 12,259 first preferences in the European elections in Ireland South and will be running for the Dáil for the second time, he received 704 votes in Clare for the General Election in 2020 and was the fourth candidate eliminated.
Hassett polled 448 first preference votes in the Kirush local electoral area and was the third candidate eliminated.
Ní Chatháin received 886 first preference votes in Limerick and was the fourth candidate eliminated, she ran for the Socialist Party.
In a statement to The Clare Echo, Corofin based Leahy commented, “Given the damage which is being inflicted on this country by current government policy in respect of mass migration, attacks against free-speech, undermining the stability of society, making housing unaffordable for native people, the radical Woke agenda which undermines family structures and human identity, inequitable taxation policy aimed at undermining private property as well as the efforts to undermine Irish neutrality, I felt I had an obligation to put forward an alternative voice to what is effectively a ‘Uni- party’ of universally left-wing voices”.
Kilkee native Hassett said, “I want to see a future for our young people, a Co. Clare and Ireland that we can be proud of to pass on to future generations. What we seeing happening in front of our eyes from migration of our young people to foreign countries to immigration of thousands of unknown mostly illegal males to four corners of Ireland is not sustainable”.
He has said his main commitments are to get control of the Irish borders, ensure affordable housing, continue the fight for a 24 hour accident and emergency unit and a model four hospital on a greenfield site.
A teacher, trade union activist and leading organizer of the ROSA socialist feminist movement, Caitriona last year was served a ‘no-fault’ eviction notice after she queried an unlawful rent increase with the RTB.
