West Cork woman elected to Fianna Fáil executive

A Cork woman has been elected to Fianna Fáil's Ard Chomhairle (National Executive).

Glengarriff native Eimear Collins, 26, was elected on Saturday at the party's 84th Ard Fheis in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre.

The gathering marked 100 years to the day since the party was founded at a public meeting in Dublin's La Scala Theatre on 16 May 1926.

Ms Collins, a proud West Cork woman, was one of 15 party members seeking election to the Ard Chomhairle on the female panel.

She intends to use her Ard Chomhairle seat to advocate for issues facing her generation including housing, the cost of education, and balanced regional development.

Ms Collins works as a communications professional and has been actively involved in Fianna Fáil from a young age. Having cut her political teeth in Ógra Fianna Fáil, the youth wing of the party for members aged between 16 and 30.

She was one of four Ógra aged candidates elected to the party's Ard Chomhairle on Saturday, marking a first for Fianna Fáil.

President of Ógra Fianna Fáil, John Crowley, said: “Their election demonstrates that Fianna Fáil is a party committed to empowering young people to help solve some of the greatest challenges we face as a nation.

“The voice of young people is never lost in Fianna Fáil, it is always amplified.”