I’ve been living in Portlaw, Co. Waterford for 20 years, working as a lecturer of economics and finance at SETU Waterford since 2002. Prior to this, I taught economics at UCC after completing my postgraduate studies there. My primary degree in economics and finance was completed at WIT. 

I was born in Dublin, living in Seville Place from which my late father’s side of the family are from. My grandfather worked on the Docks and my father started a weaving business at the age of 21. My late mother was from Buttevant, Co. Cork, whose parents owned and ran a family Drapery and Clothing shop. I am one of 9 children and we moved to Wexford Town after it was decided to move the family business there.

Growing up, I enjoyed rugby, boxing and art. My first summer job was cleaning the weaving looms. I did seasonal work on the Stena Line ferry crossing between Rosslare and Fishguard for a couple of years after the Leaving Cert and during college. Most of this work was in the kitchens with the occasional time spent working in the Duty Free shop. Other part-time work included waiting tables for a wonderful family-run Italian restaurant in Wexford. The income from this helped me financially get through college.

My interest in politics developed over time but I never aligned with any political party. Studying, reading and teaching economics was the closest that I had been exposed to politics in the form of policy other than what was being reported in mainstream media. However, when the crash came in 2007/08 and with the subsequent loss of our sovereignty, I became so disillusioned, not only with the political system but also with the economics and finance disciplines. I questioned the theories and studies that I had been delivering in the lecture rooms. Like many people in Ireland, I was upset by the decisions being made by our government and the troika, and the subsequent emigration that took place by those who sought work elsewhere.

In 2014 I launched an economics podcast to help me explore the economics discipline further. I released an episode every week in which I interviewed an economist or financial analyst about their own area of the discipline as well as discuss their research or books. I did so impartially and without bias. I worked hard at this podcast for over 3 years and I had received positive feedback from audiences from most countries around the world. I was invited to speak both at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow, as well as interviewing a leading US economist during a national teachers conference in Tampa, Florida.

I had a desire to create an arts, literary and heritage festival in Portlaw and felt that Hallowe’en would be the perfect time for it. After mentioning it to some locals, we all set to work to make the 2-day Portlaw Pumpkin Festival a reality in 2015. This showcased not only the village but also Irish culture, language, art and history and was a resounding success. The festival catered for all audiences with animation classes, pumpkin carving, traditional games, lectures and talks from a Trinity College professor and three Irish novelists.

I am a hard-working person who is a willing listener and will do my utmost to put forward your concerns or any issues that you have to the City and County Council and get results. Making our local towns and villages a safe and rewarding experience for us all to live in, no matter our age, should be a given. But the current government policies filtering down to our area are putting a strain and burden on community living and there are cracks and stresses that have become amplified. I want to be your local representative that pushes back against these policies and I need your help to shape national policies from the local level up. Help me become your next Comeragh District councillor in 2024 and your local TD for 2025.