Constituency: Clare

Leonora Carey is from Clarecastle and is the daughter of former Fine Gael TD, Donal Carey. Her brother Joe also served as a TD for Fine Gael in Clare from 2007 until he resigned in 2024 for medical reasons. A long-term member of Fine Gael herself – she attended her first meeting in her own right at 15 years old – Leonora also served on the Fine Gael Executive Council for 10 years, acting as Chairperson for two years. She works as an Occupational Therapist Manager with the UL Hospitals Group and has been a carer for her father over the last number of years too.

First elected to Clare Country Council in 2004, Cllr Cooney has been returned to Killaloe Municipal District as a poll topper in the four subsequent Local Elections. The former Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council and Chairman of Clare GAA is a first-time General Election candidate and joins Leonora Carey and Dr Tom Nolan on the Fine Gael ticket. Cllr Cooney said he was “honoured to contest this election and to receive the opportunity to potentially represent my county in Dáil Éireann. If I say I will do something, I will do it. I am deeply committed to our communities, and my dedication to serving the people of Clare is central to everything I do.”

Incumbent T.D Cathal Crowe has been involved in politics since his youth and was first elected at the age of 21 to Clare County Council – the youngest councillor in the country at that time. He retained his seat right up until his election to Dáil Éireann in February 2020, at which point he was serving as Cathaoirleach of the council. A strong advocate for sustainable rural development, Cathal also describes himself as a passionate historian and during his years working as a primary school teacher in Parteen NS, embarked on many history projects with his pupils. A lifelong aviation fanatic, Cathal is currently Fianna Fáil’s Tourism and Aviation Spokesperson and uses this position to be a voice for Shannon Airport in the Dáil.

West Clare’s June Dillon is a first-time general election candidate who works as a community nurse in the public health nursing service in Kilrush. She wants to run for election as she believes that Aontú are the only party acting like the real opposition. In addition, she said that she holds party leader Peadar Tóibín in high esteem and that there are huge levels of support in the country for him. As someone who is married to a farmer, she feels that she is well-placed to understand the real issues that matter to the rural community. She also laments the decline of communities in rural areas and will work to improve this if elected.

Senator Timmy Dooley is the current Fianna Fáil Seanad Spokesperson for Climate Action, Communication Networks & Transport. He was a TD from 2007 to 2020 and served as spokesperson on Transport, Tourism and Sport up to 2016 when he moved on to Climate Action and Communications. Timmy was also in the Seanad from 2002 to 2007 when he was elected on the Administration Panel. In addition to his role in national politics, Timmy is very active in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and is currently a Vice President of the party.

Senator Róisín Garvey, a spokesperson for Rural Development and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is from a farm in west Clare with a background in Climate Education and Community Activism. She has been an active volunteer in the community for years around cycling, sustainable transport and biodiversity. She was the first woman and first Green elected to Clare County Council for North Clare in the 2019 Local Elections. She became a Senator in May 2020 as a Taoiseach’s nominee to the Seanad. She describes herself as a “strong voice for Clare, supporting communities, small businesses, farmers and the food industry.”

A dairy farmer from Kilkee, Kevin Hassett previously ran in this year’s Local Elections under the Independent Ireland banner but will now run in the General Election as an Independent. His platform is described as being grounded in practical solutions to pressing issues facing rural communities and he advocates for fair agricultural policies, improved healthcare access, and infrastructure development to support economic growth. He also emphasises the importance of accountability and transparency in governance. With a background in both farming and construction, Mr Hassett says that he understands the importance of regional development and infrastructure investment in ensuring regional prosperity.

An architect and a planner by profession, Michael Leahy will be The Irish Freedom Party candidate for Clare. He set up his practice in 1986 and has long experience of running a business and as an employer. He is the former President of the Ennis Chamber of Commerce and was a board member for Bord Pleanála from 2012 to 2017. He has strong involvement in the local community, including charitable and cultural groups. Michael is passionate about rural regeneration and making it affordable for people to access the housing market.

Michael Loughrey of ‘The Irish People' is running under the banner of the National Alliance. The alliance includes candidates from Ireland First, the National Party and the Irish People, as well as some Independents. The mission of the National Alliance, they say, is to “uphold the principles that put the Irish people and their needs first, standing firm in the battle between globalism and nationalism.” The stonemason, based in Gort, previously ran in the 1991 local elections as a member of Sinn Féin before contesting the 2024 locals in June as a member of The Irish People where he received 127 first preference votes.

In announcing her candidacy for the General Election, Independent candidate Amanda Major said she is seeking to “bring a fresh and accountable voice to the Dáil, standing as a strong, independent choice for the people of Clare.” Describing herself as a “dedicated and passionate community advocate from Ennis”, Amanda said that, if elected, she will prioritise four key areas of accountability and transparency; housing and healthcare; efficient transportation; and support for local communities, farmers and businesses. "A voice for change is needed, and I’m putting myself forward as that voice. This is a time for fresh perspectives and genuine commitment,” she said.

Born in Belfast in 1972, Cllr McGettigan’s family moved to Shannon in the 1970s. She describes herself as “passionate about Clare and believe with the right resources it has the potential to thrive.” as well as “a strong advocate for equality, mental health and workers’ rights." She was chosen to take up the vacant Sinn Féin on Clare County Council in 2020 following the death of Mike McKee and was then elected in her own right to Clare County Council on the eighth count in this year’s Local Elections.

A former CEO of Ennis Chamber, Rita McInerney was first elected to Clare County Council in the Kilrush Local Electoral Area in June’s Local Elections. The Doonbeg woman is the proprietor of McInerney’s Shop in the village and contested the 2020 General Election for Fianna Fáil where she received just under 7% of the vote share. She was selected in December of last year to fill the Clare County Council seat vacated by retiring long-serving member Bill Chambers. She has been described by her fellow Fianna Fáil running mate, Deputy Cathal Crowe as “an energetic political activist for many years”.

An Independent candidate, Matthew Moroney ran in this year’s Local Elections, receiving over 8% of the vote before falling just short of the quota. The suckler farmer has said, if elected, he will fight vigorously for Model 3 Hospital services for Ennis as well as for a new hospital in the mid-west in Clare itself. His other priorities include fighting for more cost of living supports, supporting businesses in Clare, more social and affordable homes, support for the farming sector and more services from Shannon airport. "I believe that common sense solutions will improve our county services and if elected I will fight tooth and nail to ensure we get the funding and services we deserve,” said Mr Moroney.

Patrick ‘Paddy’ Murphy, the manager of ‘The Nineteenth Bar’ in Lahinch, will contest the election as an Independent. The businessman – who is originally from Tulla – has been living in Lahinch for 25 years, is a popular figure in the locality and has been in the bar game all his life. In an interview last month, he said that he is one of the silent majority that is “very frustrated with the waste and mis-management of public money” as well as “the lack of accountability.” He said that it’s his opinion that as a result of this mis-management, there has been a total erosion of basic services that the people of Clare are entitled to.

Caitríona Ní Chatháin, a teacher, trade union activist, and leading organiser of the ROSA socialist feminist movement, is the People Before Profit-Solidarity candidate in this year’s General Election in Clare. During her mayoral election run in Limerick back in June, housing was a core pillar of her campaign, adding that she like so many others had been impacted by the ongoing housing crisis in the country.

Dr. Tom Nolan has been selected by Fine Gael to run alongside Joe Cooney and Leonora Carey. “Representing Fine Gael for Clare in the General Election is an opportunity for me to fulfil my ambition to finish the job of restoring acute medical services to Ennis Hospital and to improve Primary Care, especially in out-of-hours services,” he said. Dr Nolan has lived and worked in west Clare as a GP since 1980, specialising in musculoskeletal medicine in Kilrush and Ennis in recent years. He said he is “committed to making our streets and rural communities feel safer and I am also committed to listening to what our farmers propose in mitigating the effects of climate change.”

An ex-Green Party member, Mr O’Donovan is now running as part of Rabharta. They are a political party and civil campaign group in Ireland that seeks to use the legislative system to provide the framework for a just transition, while utilising direct action and civil campaigning to work towards making Ireland a more equal place to live. Mr O’Donovan was the 20th and final candidate to declare his candidacy for the upcoming election in Clare.

Eddie Punch, who most recently campaigned to be an MEP in the European Elections where received just over a 3% of the vote, will represent the Independent Ireland party in this year's General Election. He is described by his party being dedicated to ensuring fair play for Clare and advocating for balanced regional development. He is particularly concerned about the marginalisation of Shannon Airport in favour of Dublin Airport, which he sees as detrimental to tourism and economic growth on the west coast. Mr Punch has also expressed concerns about the overuse of hotel accommodations in Clare for refugees, arguing that this practice harms local businesses that rely on tourism.

Living in Ennis, Social Democrats’ Hilary works for Women’s Collective Ireland, Clare, and she is the founder of Mná ag Gáire Women’s Hub. She is also a co-founder of the Mid-West Hospital Campaign, fighting for better healthcare for all and the re-establishment of an emergency department in Ennis. “Too many people are being left behind by threadbare public services and a lack of investment in affordable housing. I particularly want to see action on the UHL crisis, where 500,000 are reliant on a single overburdened emergency department,” she said. “We urgently need a change in approach, and as your representatives, we will work day and night to deliver for a fair and inclusive county Clare.”

A former member of Sinn Féin, Deputy Wynne left the party citing “psychological warfare” while she was on maternity leave. She announced that she will be contesting this election as a “true Independent”. During her time as a TD, she says that she prioritised access to the basics because that is what people are struggling with the most. This includes access to GPs, dentists, and assessment of needs as well other basics such as health, housing and mental health. She also claims to have said the word ‘Clare’ in the Dáil chamber the most times (473 times to be precise) during this current Dáil term.