A breakthrough for Social Democrats

Sir, – The Social Democrats won six seats. These were a 30-year-old female farmer from rural Ireland, a community activist from Dublin’s inner city, Ireland’s first openly gay mayor, a mother of four campaigning for better work-life balance, and two TDs who championed universal healthcare and transparency in the last Dáil.

A new and more diverse Ireland is emerging. – Yours, etc,

PÁDRAIG RICE,

Cork.

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Sir, – If the Social Democrats and the Labour Party were to amalgamate, we could find ourselves with our very own SDLP in the South. – Yours, etc,

EUGENE

KILKENNY,

Rathfarnham,

Dublin 16.