Constituency: Louth

David Bradley is a new independent candidate that is entering the race with a campaign underpinned by his Christian faith. David is 69, lives in Drogheda and is a retired pensions fund operations manager. He says that the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael government has been an “oppressive” one, that he was bitterly opposed to the lockdown measures taken in Covid and was sceptical of vaccines. He opposes abortion and has criticised the government’s handling of immigration. He is arguing for the application of what he called “Biblical principles” in governmental decision-making.

David Brennan is a Mayo native who moved with his family to Ardee as a child, where the family developed a dairy farm. He went on to develop his own business, manufacturing clay pigeon targets, growing out of his own enthusiasm for the sport. He is currently the Managing Director of Ardee Sports but has a strong belief in public service and says that, if elected, he will use “all of my extensive experience and considerable energy to work for what I believe to be for the common good and in the best interests of our country and its citizens”. He is campaigning to protect the farming and rural way of life, for sustainable and renewable energy, immigration control and against government wastage. He believes the resources of County Louth can be better developed in the areas of tourism, recreation and transport.

Raised in Quay Street, Cllr Marianne Butler now lives on Dundalk’s Avenue Road with her family. She was first elected to Dundalk Town Council in 2009 and was co-opted onto Louth County Council in 2010. She has been Cathaoirleach of Dundalk Town Council, leas-Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, has served on the Governing Body of DKIT and as a member of Louth Meath Education and Training Board. Laying out her priorities, Cllr Butler said: “We need our children to have safe places to play, high quality education and training, and secure and affordable housing. We have a duty to strengthen what we have in common and reinforce what unites us as a community.” She is an advocate of long-term and evidence-based decision making at local and national level.

Cllr Paula Butterly hails from a Louth farming community but went into business, which eventually took her to Italy. Returning home in 2016, she changed course to study law and was called to the Bar in 2021. She also became a member of Louth County Council and was re-elected in the latest local elections. As a mother, daughter, and sister to a brother with complex medical needs, Cllr Butterly says she has first-hand knowledge of the challenges of balancing work with caring for family. Among her priorities are supports for rural businesses and firms that are crucial in sustaining rural communities. The Louth councillor wants to see more school places, better school transport and additionals supports for children with special needs. She also wants to see elderly people supported so they can continue to live in their own homes and is an advocate for greater support for SMEs.

Drogheda woman Cllr Joanna Byrne has been a councillor for Drogheda Urban since 2016 and was re-elected at the local elections in June. She joins the Sinn Féin ticket and will be aiming to hang on to the seat being vacated by her party colleague, Imelda Munster. Cllr Byrne is heavily involved in sport and with Drogheda United, in particular. She says she grew up with strong female influences, which have imbued her with a passion for “breaking down barriers for women”. She was elected onto the FAI’s National League Committee and says she cherishes the opportunity to be a voice for Drogheda nationally. “I have been a strong voice on housing and homelessness and have advocated for facilities for those struggling with addiction,” she says. "I’ve worked on issues such as illegal dumping, road safety, housing maintenance, housing transfers, vacant properties, period poverty, campaigned to ‘bring the Merryweather home’ and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community."

Albert Byrne is running as an independent in Louth and is campaigning for reform of An Garda Síochána and the unification of Ireland on a federal system, retaining the current institutions in the north and south of Ireland. He says he is campaigning for “accountability, transparency and real reform” in the gardaí and in the way the island is governed.

Independent Councillor Kevin Callan has entered the race for the Dáil to give people the choice of an effective independent voice that will work for the county. Cllr Callan said: "We are living in an area that has such potential but which has been consistently failed and overlooked. Examples include the lack of government support in preventing town centre dereliction, lack of any support to build the Northern Cross Route in Drogheda, the loss of tourist beds in the closure of the D Hotel, the omission of a Drogheda North Train Station from national plans and no action on reopening Dunleer Train Station In 40 years, the lack of progress on the Ardee bypass in eight years.” Cllr Callan has served as an elected representative for 15 years and says he wants to bring his effort and work to Leinster House for the good of Louth. If elected he says he will “work with those who work with me for the constituency.”

David Carroll from Dundalk is running as an Independent candidate but under the banner of ‘Taimíd Ireland’. He has pledged to be a voice for farmer in Louth and to ‘make farming great again’. He says he wants to see zero tax on farmers for three years as well as 0% VAT on farm produce and a free tank of ‘green diesel’ supplied to every farm.

Thomas Clare is a former Louth County Councillor, serving on the council from 1999 to 2009. He is promoting himself as the ‘Volunteer TD’ and says that if voters volunteer their vote to him, he will volunteer his service to them. “I am blessed to have always been smack in the middle of decent, well-meaning, hard-working people who spend large chunks of their time running the football training, fund-raising for the sports gear, building the new astro turf, bringing the kids to training,” he says. “These people know how it all works and these people don’t put their hand out. I only ever aspired to emulate my friends, it always made a difference and its not very complicated.”

It was announced in August that Alison Comyn would join the Fianna Fáil ticket for the the next general election, alongside Senator Erin McGreehan. Ms Comyn is deeply-rooted in her community of Drogheda and south Louth and has over 30 years’ experience in media, as journalist, broadcaster, news anchor and presenter. She has a long-standing commitment to public service and community throughout her career. Announcing her intention to run, she said: “I know the stories, struggles, and successes that have shaped our community because I live in the region and experience them myself, meaning I’m not just a candidate, but a neighbour who is invested in the future of our region. The Drogheda area has faced serious challenges in recent years - and we’re not out of the woods yet - but I honestly believe it can be a thriving, vibrant community where everyone can flourish.”

Alan Fagan is running in the general election as Nationalist Independent candidate for Louth. Mr Fagan said: “I will not enter into any talks with any of the current parties in the Dáill and if elected, I will strive to achieve support to form a shadow government. This will give us the power to lodge injunctions against poor government legislation detrimental to the Irish people.”

Hermann Kelly is running for the Irish Freedom Party on an anti-immigration ticket. He is president of the party, hails from Derry and now lives in Dunleer. He ran an unsuccessful campaign to secure a seat in the European Parliament in the recent European Elections, where he won less than 1% of the vote. His party has controversial views on ending mass migration and abandoning climate action measures.

Having grown up in Louth, Social Democrats candidate Niall McCreanor has witnessed first-hand, the challenges facing residents of the county. “I am honoured to be selected to run for the Social Democrats in this constituency. This is my home and my family’s home and I am passionate about creating a brighter future for Louth,” he said. "We face pressing issues such as housing affordability, healthcare access, the need for urban regeneration, and public transport deficiencies that demand immediate action. He said that housing is a significant concern for many residents in Louth, with “skyrocketing rents” and a lack of affordable options. "Everyone deserves a place to call home. I will advocate for policies that support the construction of affordable homes and ensure that local families can live in the communities they grew up in,” Mr McCreanor said. He said he would also campaign for greater investment in Louth healthcare, urban regeneration and better public transport.

A far-right, anti-immigration candidate who was one of the leaders of an anti-immigrant protest in Drogheda this summer, that found it was vastly outnumbered by a Drogheda4All counter-protest. At 81 first preference votes in the Drogheda Rural electoral area in last summer’s local elections, his was the smallest vote of any of the candidates. Mr McElearney was out-polled by a Fine Gael candidate who had publicly withdrawn from the race.

Senator John McGahon was elected to Seanad Éireann in March 2020 on the Cultural and Educational Panel and was subsequently appointed as Spokesperson for Climate Action, Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. He serves on both the Joint Oireachtas Committes on Climate Action and the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. He was first elected to Louth County Council in 2014 at the age of 23 and was re-elected in 2019 on the first count. During his six years on the council, he twice served as Cathaoirleach of the Dundalk Municipal District. Born and raised in Dundalk, he is a nephew of former Louth TD Brendan McGahon. John was educated at Dundalk Grammar School and University College Dublin where he obtained a BA Honours Degree in History and Politics. He plays rugby for Dundalk RFC and is a member of Dundalk Young Irelands GFC.

Senator Erin McGreehan grew up in Castletown, Cooley, and went to school in Mullaghbuoy NS and Bush Post Primary. Elected to Louth County Council on her first attempt in May 2019, in June 2020 she was nominated to the 26th Seanad by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Her priorities for her term of office were to highlight inequalities for minorities, people with disabilities and the lower-waged. She has worked to help mitigate the costs of Brexit while strengthening towns and villages making them more sustainable, attractive and safer for is of huge importance to her. Growing up on a small farm, she says she understands and respects the importance of the agricultural industry and of protecting the rural way of life. Senator McGreehan is a mother of four young boys and herself and her partner Donal run a small engineering business. She and her family are active members of her local athletic club, Glenmore AC.

Ryan McKeown is a young and first-time candidate for the Louth constituency in the upcoming election. A young man with Dundalk roots, he is running as an Independent Ireland candidate and wants to address the problems families experience getting their children access to mental health services. “My family is originally from Beechmount Drive in Coxes Demesne, Dundalk,” Mr McKeown said. "I have seen my parents struggle from week to week to make ends meet. I have seen my mother cry scared and panicked about whether she was going to be able to make ends meet, but they always did and they worked every hour God sent and still were left struggling.” He is asking the public to give him the chance to “show them that I will be there for them and their families”, adding that he is “prepared and dedicated to working seven days a week for every person who comes to me for help.”

First elected to the Dáil in 2011, Deputy Ged Nash has been a TD, senator and minister and is the current Labour Party spokesperson on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Enterprise and Trade. The Drogheda-based politician first won a seat on Drogheda Corporation in 1999, was co-opted onto Louth County Council in 2002 and in 2004 became Mayor of Drogheda. He was elected to the Dáil in 2011, was appointed Minister for Business and Employment in 2014 and established the Low Pay Commission. After losing his seat in the following election, he joined the Seanad and secured a State apology for the historical mistreatment of LGBTQ+ citizens. Re-elected to the Dáil in 2020, he has campaigned against price gouging and in favour of a living wage and greater investment in public services. He is seeking greater jobs and investment, affordable housing, revitalising the town centre, delivering a stadium for Drogheda United and municipal playing grounds for the town.

Peter James Nugent is running as an independent candidate for Louth and says he is "dedicated to bring about positive change and progress for the community". The local activist from Drogheda said that his number one priority was to improve opportunities for locals to secure social and affordable housing in the town. He also wants to see improved pathways for a better future for the homeless. Another priority is to make Drogheda a safer place to live by working to increase the garda presence on our streets. Finally, he wants to see greater LGBTQ+ support as well as support for diversity and inclusion in the local community. Peter James Nugent is a long-time advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and will continue to advocate on that community’s behalf in his election campaign. The Drogheda activist also ran in the latest local elections as an Independent in the Drogheda Urban electoral area.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú is the Communications and Broadband Spokesperson for Sinn Féin. Louth born and bred, Deputy Ó Murchú is a Gaeilgeoir and advocate of the Irish language. A former member of Louth County Council from 2017-2020, he was Chairperson of Louth Drug and Alcohol Forum and a member of the North East Drugs Task Force. He has a keen interest in the areas of addiction, recovery and wellbeing including the need for a holistic approach to tackle the drugs epidemic. He has worked to highlight the underfunding in our health service particularly regarding mental health supports. A member of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport & Communications Networks and the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs, he has a focus on the challenges that face border people. He is committed to achieving a referendum on Irish Unity and wants to build a “just, fair and equal Ireland”.

Aontú candidate and Drogheda resident Michael O’Dowd is a former member of Louth County Council and twice served as Mayor of Drogheda. He is a founder member of the Ablevision, which empowers people with an intellectual disability to speak up for themselves through the use of digital media. He is also a founder member of Drogheda Civic Trust. Mr O’Dowd previously worked in Tanzania on development projects and is a regular columnist with New York newspaper Irish Voice. Among the issues at the centre of his election campaign is improving services at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. He says the hospital and its staff are under increasing pressure and while he wants to raise awareness of the problems at the hospital, he also wants to hold the government accountable for the funding and management of the public health service.

Tracey O’Hanlon is running as an independent, and is a nationalist and anti-immigration candidate from Dundalk. She ran in the recent local elections in June, when she failed to win a seat on Louth County Council.

A former Dundalk FC youth player, James Renaghan is graduating with a Masters in Politics. The People Before Profit candidate was a student housing activist with the National Student Action Group and has been involved in Action For Palestine Ireland. He is a co-founder of the Rank & File Collective which creates “protest art” against homelessness. More recently, he has been a leading member of Dundalk Communities United, an anti-racist grassroots initiative seeking to build community solidarity whilst agitating against what the movement sees as government neglect. “The long-standing social issues in Ireland are caused by the profound levels of inequality within society,” he says. “People are trying to divide working class areas in Dundalk on this issue, scapegoating migrants and not the rich.” Urging working class people to “ unite and fight like we did on the water charges,” Mr Reneghan is calling for the banning of vulture funds, the establishment of a state construction company to build public housing and tackle dereliction.

Popular north Louth Councillor Antóin Watters is running as a third Sinn Féin candidate in the constituency alongside incumbent Ruaíri Ó Murchú TD and Cllr Joanna Byrne from Drogheda. He said that government waste has prompted him to run. “The final straw for me was the allocation of €9,000,000 in Budget 2025 for mobile phone pouches to keep students off their phones during school hours,” he said. "They then insulted people’s intelligence by selling this waste as ‘positive well-being and mental health’ as the latest figures for those waiting for CAMHS shows 695 people in Louth of whom 115 have been waiting over 52 weeks. Why don’t we tell students to switch off their phones or keep them in their lockers and invest that €9 million in CAMHS?” Cllr Watters, who is a father of two young children, said: “We need a progressive housing and planning policy to allow children born in rural north Louth to stay in their community if they so choose.”