LIMERICK author and former Sinn Féin councillor Séighin Ó Ceallaigh has announced that he will not be taking part in either the local authority election, the directly elected mayoral election, or the European Parliament election this June.
Instead, he will be hosting a new podcast, Limerick People, which he says will initially focus on the elections in Limerick, but will be open to guests from all backgrounds. He hopes the podcast will showcase the “best and most interesting of Limerick City and County”.
The former City East councillor, who narrowly missed out on a seat for Sinn Féin in the 2020 General Election, said he was asked a lot recently about his political future, including on Live 95 when speaking about his latest book The Senator’s Sister.
“It really encouraged me to make up my mind. It simply came down to the pros and cons, the commitments required to be a public representative, and unfortunately after much thought given to the local, European, and mayoral elections, I have decided not to contest any of June’s elections,” Mr Ó Ceallaigh revealed.
“Seeking election means that you are committing to dedicate yourself entirely to bettering the lives of people in Limerick, and unfortunately I simply am unable to fully make that commitment.
Since 2020, Séighin has continued his education and released three books, The Half Mile Road (2021), North Minnesota (2022), and The Senator’s Sister (2023), with his fourth and fifth novels due out this year. And while these are political thrillers sprinkled with history, the former Sinn Féin councillor also has plans to write in the Irish history and culture genres.
“I have decided to start a podcast that will have a political flare around election time, but may later feature people from all walks of life,” he told the Limerick Post.
“It’s an opportunity for people to talk extensively about all things Limerick, what’s going on in the city and county, their own journeys and projects, and what the future holds,” he explained.
Limerick People launched on February 26 and is available for free on Spotify. The first episode features Eric Nelligan, a first time candidate for Aontú in Limerick City East.
