Oireachtas

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (SF)

Cork South-Central: Fourth TD elected of four

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams with (from left) Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Mary Lou McDonald TD and Pearse Doherty TD, arriving at the party’s final press conference before the election. Photograph: Eric Luke
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams with (from left) Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Mary Lou McDonald TD and Pearse Doherty TD, arriving at the party’s final press conference before the election. Photograph: Eric Luke
Barry Roche
Mon Feb 29 2016 - 11:08

A first-time general election candidate, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (27) won the Sinn Féin nomination to run in Cork South-Central last year when he beat current Lord Mayor, Chris O’Leary, in a run-off after they tied at convention.

From Togher on the city’s southside, Ó Laoghaire, who plays hurling with St Finbarr’s GAA club, has a law degree from UCC, where he joined Sinn Féin at the age of 18. He took a year off from his studies to work as national organiser for Ógra Sinn Féin.

Ó Laoghaire worked as a parliamentary assistant to Sinn Féin senators David Cullinane and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh and former Cork East Sinn Féin TD, Sandra McLellan, from 2011 until he was elected to Cork County Council in 2014.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times