WITH JUST TWO weeks to go before the European Elections on June 7, The Journal has assembled a candidate database to help inform voters on who their candidates are.

A record number of 73 candidates are contesting a seat in the European Parliament from the three constituencies of Dublin, Midlands-North-West, and South.

Dublin has a total of four seats available, with 23 candidates running for election.

You can access our candidate database here. It is broken down by constituency and we have also asked every candidate which European Parliamentary grouping they would consider joining if they are elected. These groupings are important for the make up of the next parliament.

There is biographical details and a Q&A to help you decide which person you want representing you in Europe. 

If you’re living in Dublin, here are your 23 candidates. 

Umar Al-Qadri - Independent

Barry Andrews - Fianna Fáil

Barry Andrews is a Fianna Fáil MEP for Dublin and a member of the Renew Europe group in the EU Parliament. Prior to entering politics, he was a secondary school teacher and barrister specialising in child protection law in 1997. He sits on EU committees covering development and international trade.

Rebecca Barrett – National Party

Rebecca Barrett is a mother, homeschooler and wife of Justin Barrett, one of the two men who claim to lead the ethno-nationalist National Party.

Lynn Boylan - Sinn Féin

Lynn Boylan has been a senator since 2020 and is the Sinn Féin spokesperson for Climate Justice. She is also the Seanad spokesperson for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, Social Protection and Employment Affairs. She was previously MEP for the Dublin Constituency from 2014 to 2019.

Niall Boylan – Independent Ireland

Niall Boylan is a former host of the Niall Boylan Show on Ireland’s Classic Hits FM. He now hosts the Niall Boylan Podcast.

Robin Cafolla - An Rabharta Glas

Robin Cafolla is a the co-founder of Rabharta Glas (Green Left). He is a software engineer and climate activist. Originally from Carlow, he is also an amateur photographer.

Aisling Considine - Aontú

Aisling Considine is a primary school teacher from Dublin. She is a fluent Irish speaker and an active member of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation.

Ciarán Cuffe - Green Party

Ciarán Cuffe is a sitting MEP and has been a member of the EU Parliament since 2019. From 2002 to 2011, he was a TD representing Dun Laoghaire and was Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture from 2010 to 2011. Cuffe is a member of the European Green Party group in parliament.

Clare Daly - Independents 4 Change

Clare Daly has been an MEP for the Dublin constituency since 2019. She previously served as a TD for Dublin North from 2011 to 2019, initially as a member of the Socialist Party. Before entering the Dáil, she was a councillor on Fingal County Council for 12 years.

Regina Doherty - Fine Gael

Regina Doherty is the deputy leader and former leader of the Seanad. She has been a senator since 2020. A former TD and Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Doherty was also the Government’s Chief Whip from 2016 to 2017.

Daithí Doolin - Sinn Féin

Daithí Doolin was elected to Dublin City Council in 2004 and represents the Ballyfermot-Drimnagh area. He is the current Sinn Féin leader on Dublin City Council and has been a member of several committees covering housing and community safety. 

Philip Dwyer - Ireland First

A self-styled citizen journalist, Philip Dwyer has been travelling the country live-streaming from anti-immigration demonstrations. The Dublin native, a former postman and member of the National Party, makes money from his YouTube livestreams through the platform’s ‘superchat’ feature.

Sinead Gibney - Social Democrats

Sinead Gibney is the former chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. She is the chair of One Family, an organisation that supports single parents.

Andy Heasman – The Irish People

Andy Heasman is a roofer from Knock, Co Mayo. He was a key figure at protests in and around libraries last year over the presence of sex education books on their shelves. He told his X followers in May that he has appeared in court recently in relation to four charges.

Conor Murphy – Independent

Conor Murphy is a medical student running as an Independent candidate.

Eamonn Murphy – Independent

Eamonn Murphy describes himself as a “pro-life, pro-woman candidate”. He had an unsuccessful run for an EU Parliament seat in 2019.

Stephen O’Rourke - Independent

Stephen O’Rourke is a scientist working in regulatory affairs. Born and raised in Ballyfermot, Dublin, he now lives and works in Berlin. He has founded a political discussion group in Germany, and is involved with the GAA. He is a first-time European candidate.

Brendan Ogle - Independent

Brendan Ogle is a trade unionist and a first-time EU candidate. He is a senior Unite the Union officer. He is the former secretary of the ESB group of unions.

Patrick Quinlan – National Party

Patrick Quinlan is the deputy leader of the National Party and its Dublin West representative.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin - Labour

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has served as TD for Dublin Bay North since 2020 and is the spokesperson for the Labour Party on education, enterprise and trade. Prior to his election as a TD, he was a senator from 2016 to 2020 and a TD for the Dublin North-Central constituency before that, from 2011 to 2016. He worked in the coalition Government as Minister of State for Equality, New Communities, Culture and the National Drugs Strategy from 2014 to 2016.

Bríd Smith - People Before Profit – Solidarity

Bríd Smith has been an active politician since 1981 and is a member of People Before Profit. She was elected as a TD for Dublin South-Central in 2016. Throughout her career she has organised various campaigns and proposed Bills regarding workers’ and Travellers’ rights, as well as advocating for the right to abortion and climate justice matters.

Malachy Steenson - Independent

Malachy Steenson is a solicitor and former election candidate for the Worker’s Party.

Diarmaid Ó’Conaráin - Irish Freedom Party

Diarmaid Ó’Conaráin is the author of ‘Why You’re Wrong: Equality, Diversity and Much More’ and member of the Irish Freedom Party.

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This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work are the author’s own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.