*Tommy Guilfoyle. Photograph: Chris Copley
TOMMY GUILFOYLE has been selected as Sinn Féin’s candidate in the Ennis Municipal District for the 2024 local elections.
Party members gave their backing to Tommy’s candidacy at a recent convention with Sinn Féin’s Ard Chomhairle ratifying the decision to put him on the ballot paper for the June local elections.
The Clare Echo had first reported the likelihood of Guilfoyle contesting the local elections back in April. He stated at the time when asked if he would run, “I’ve no aspiration of any bid, not yet. People have said to me ‘Tommy will you come off the ditch, you’re like the hurler on the ditch’”.
Sinn Féin now have three candidates confirmed across Co Clare for the local elections, Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) and James Ryan (SF) will both run in the Shannon Municipal District with Guilfoyle now on the ballot paper in the Ennis Municipal District.
Tommy was campaign manager for Violet-Anne Wynne (IND) when she was elected as a Sinn Féin TD, the first for the county in nearly 100 years at the 2020 General Election. He had also been involved with the successful campaign when Michael McNamara (IND) became a TD for the first time in 2011 as a Labour party candidate.
Clarecastle based Guilfoyle is currently Chairman of Sinn Féin’s Cumann in Ennis. He is an active member of the Clarecastle GAA Club and has served as Vice Chairman, he is heavily involved with gaelic and ladies football teams in the club.
A founding member of the Francis Street Alliance, Tommy is also involved with the Clare Council of Trade Unions, the Congress Information and Opportunity Centre and the Clare International Brigades Commemorative Collective.
On his selection, Guilfoyle stated, “I would like to express my fraternal gratitude to my Cumann Comrades for selecting me to run in the next local election. I am a husband and father in a family where both parents work and I fully understand the struggles and worries facing people, every minute of every day. I believe that a strong Sinn Féin representation on the Clare County Council can create real, progressive change. The village of Clarecastle, our capital town Ennis and its surrounds are great places to live, work and raise a family, and I firmly believe by working together we can make them even better.”
“I am a trade union activist and I’m involved in ongoing campaigns for better workers rights and livelihoods. As a member of the Council’s Social Development Strategic Policy Committee, I’ve pushed hard for improved facilities and services for our community and crucially on alleviating the housing crisis”.
Improved local health and mental health services plus greater policing are the issues he believes the Council can push the Government for improvement on. “I believe our local services, infrastructure and recreational amenities need maintenance and improving. Housing, social and affordable will be a top priority for me and working hard in the council chamber to have more homes made available will always be a core campaign. I will continue to work for better workers rights and the rights of people with disabilities.
“We need to ensure we have a vibrant commercial and tourism sector to fuel economic growth for the benefit of all. I vow to genuinely listen to people and represent our communities at every twist and turn. I will push for a more open and transparent council executive and for greater local democracy. I am proud to be a signatory to a document named ‘A Trade Union Vision for a New and United Ireland’. I will continue campaigning for a United Ireland and for a reunification referendum as allowed for in the Good Friday Agreement”.
He added, “The Francis Street Alliance shows what can be achieved when the community comes together for a common goal. This is the grassroots community action and solidarity that I will represent in the council chamber. Solidarity across community groups and within a community can create real change. A councillor should be the people’s voice, their delegate in local government at all times”.
