Meet the 14 candidates running in next week's Dublin Central bye-election
14 candidates will battle it out in the Dublin Central bye-election which takes place on Friday, May 22The candidates are fighting for one seat which was left vacant when former Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe announced he was resigning last year. Mr Donohoe held a seat in Dublin Central since 2011, having been elected four times.The constituency includes the north inner city, Cabra, Phibsborough, Drumcondra, East Wall and Glasnevin. The four-seater constituency is currently represented by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, Social Democrats' Gary Gannon and Labour's Marie Sherlock.The following 14 candidates are running:Janice Boylan (Sinn Féin)Tony Corrigan (Independent)Daniel Ennis (Social Democrats)Colm Joseph Flood (Independent)Mannix Flynn (Independent)Janet Horner (Green Party)Gerard Hutch (Independent)Ray McAdam (Fine Gael)Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin (People Before Profit)Ruth O'Dea (The Labour Party)John O'Leary (Independent)Ian Noel Smyth (Aontú)Malachy Steenson (Independent)John Stephens (Fianna Fáil)Here's an overview of the candidates running:Janice BoylanDublin City Councillor Janice Boylan, who grew up in the north inner city flat complexes of O’Devaney Gardens and Greek Street, was Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald's running mate in the 2024 general election. After her selection as the party's candidate for the upcoming bye-election, she said: "A councillor for 12 years, I joined Sinn Féin because Mary Lou McDonald approached me when she saw me campaigning for Smithfield boxing club."Long before I was elected, I was advocating for our community, demanding more – never accepting less. That is my track record.“My life hasn’t always been easy. I’ve been a single parent who was at the mercy of private landlords, and I know what it’s like to have to live paycheque to paycheque.“When people talk to me about their struggles around the cost of living, housing, the state of the health system and the neglect towards our communities, assessments of need for our children or the lack of school places for our children with additional needs, I can relate.“Because I have walked those paths – I have lived, shared and fought the same struggles that so many in this constituency have had to endure.”Tony CorriganTony Corrigan is an Independent candidate and solicitor from Dublin 17. "As a candidate in the Dublin Central bye-election, I will represent and fight for the rights of the electorate to provide solutions to benefit the constituency," he said online. "Dublin Central suffers from post code discrimination and multiple inter-generational issues which affects all parts of society with no political will or interest to do the right thing."Daniel EnnisCouncillor Daniel Ennis, who has represented Dublin’s North Inner City since 2024, is the Social Democrats candidate. “My politics is simple: a politics of decency, solidarity and unity," he said. "Now more than ever, Dublin needs to be decent, to ourselves and to others.“It’s entrenched, intergenerational poverty and the State’s neglect of the North Inner City and its people that drove me to enter politics – I’m determined that my children and every child across this city will grow up in a place built on compassion, respect and opportunity.“I will work tirelessly to bring humanity, hard work and community leadership into Dáil Éireann, and to carry the voices, opinions and stories of Dubliners with me.”Colm Joseph FloodColm Joseph Flood is a student and is running in the bye-election as a non-party candidate. He ran in the Wicklow local elections in 2024 but was unsuccessful.Mannix FlynnMannix Flynn has served on Dublin City Council since 2009. He is from Dublin's inner city and is an artist. His campaign website says: "In Dublin Central, people have real problems. Lack of secure homes, families waiting too long for basic services, older people feeling left behind, and small businesses struggling to survive. We’re told that resources are available. But the gap between promise and reality needs to be confronted directly."My own life has shaped how I approach this work. I spent much of my childhood in state institutions. I understand what it means to be unheard and overlooked. That experience stays with me and informs how I represent others."Janet HornerDublin North Inner City Councillor Janet Horner is the Green Party candidate for the Dublin Central by-election. She has been a Councillor since 2019.“I want to represent the best of Dublin Central - our communities, our culture, our history, and our nature. For me, Green politics is all about communities, care, and culture, while taking on the challenges of climate change and chaos of the world around us,” Cllr Horner said in an announcement video on social media.“I’ve had the privilege of working with the wonderful communities of this area for the past seven years as a councillor, and now I want to bring those incredible voices and perspectives to the Dail.“I look forward to meeting with you on the doorsteps and across the city in the coming months to discuss how we can build a stronger Dublin Central and a better Ireland.”Gerard HutchIndependent candidate Gerard Hutch is running in the bye-election after he narrowly missed out on the final seat on offer in the constituency back in the November 2024 general election. Hutch, who has been described in court as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation, has said he will not be "tormenting people on the doors" in his campaign.He said at a meeting held in the constituency earlier this month calling for more support for children with special educational needs: "I'm here to give them support. It's not only special needs children, it's how (the Government) treat the whole country," he said. "The Children's Hospital is a national disgrace."Asked why he believed the Dublin Central electorate should vote for him he said: "Well, they have a choice, and the people around this constituency have asked me to run, so they're going to vote for me, and if other people want to give me their second, third or fourth, so be it. I'm here and I'm running. If I get in, I get in, if I don't, I don't."Ray McAdamLord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam is the Fine Gael candidate for the bye-election. Born in Cavan, Cllr McAdam has served on Dublin City Council since 2009. He has described himself as the "most experienced person in this race".He said: “The people of Dublin Central deserve an experienced voice in Dáil Éireann, someone who knows how to get things done and has a proven track record of representing the community. I’m asking for support from the people of Dublin Central on May 22nd.“I have been accessible to people across Dublin Central for the last 17 years and worked hard on the ground to deliver. We face challenges in the constituency, from housing to law and order to childcare, but I am ready to continue my work and take on these challenges in the Dáil.“My campaign is about the future of Dublin Central, a focus on service, common decency and stronger communities. My priorities include increasing community policing and delivering housing across the constituency."Ruth O'DeaRuth O'Dea is the Labour candidate in the bye-election. She lives in Drumcondra and describes herself as a long-time political feminist activist.She worked in Women's Aid for 11 years and was a volunteer for Marie Sherlock’s general election campaign in 2024. She said her priorities are "delivering safe and affordable homes in Dublin Central, securing a special school for Dublin 1, restarting and completing the Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire project, strengthening supports for families and tackling domestic abuse and building an inclusive and liveable city for all".Eoghan Ó CeannabháinEoghan Ó Ceannabháin is the People Before Profit candidate for the bye-election. He is a traditional folk singer who lives in Stoneybatter.He is working with tenants in Dublin City to organise against Council rent hikes and has been "active on housing for more than a decade". He has also campaigned for "neutrality and against war".Mr Ó Ceannabháin was involved in the major campaign against plans to redevelop the famous Cobblestone Pub in Smithfield. He has called for a a "vote left, transfer left" pact in the campaign.John O'LearyIndependent candidate John O'Leary, a businessman from Cork, is running in both the Dublin Central and Galway West bye-elections.He has run in several constituencies in past general elections.Ian Noel SmythIan Noel Smyth is the Aontú candidate in the bye-election and is an architect living in Cabra. He previously contested two elections for the Green Party but became disillusioned with the party, and ran for Aóntú in 2020 and 2024.He said: "We have been the only credible opposition to this government who have continued to ignore the circumstances of ordinary people, cushioned themselves from accountability and forgotten whom it is they serve. In seeking to increase our Dáil representation by taking the seat in Dublin Central, Aontú will work to address the obvious crime problem in the inner city, as well as demanding investment in community services for older people and building on our record of talking truth to power on migration."We are growing across the country, and the public can see how we use their support to hold Ministers to account and are not afraid to challenge what we see as a derogation of responsibility in both local and national issues. I will be seeking the votes of the good people of Dublin Central to continue in that vein and I would earnestly ask for your support”.Malachy SteensonIndependent Candidate Malachy Steenson is a solicitor from North Strand and was elected to Dublin City Council in 2024. He has been involved in protest campaigns against immigration in Dublin."In April 2025 we organised a rally that saw 50,000 people marching down O’Connell Street in protest of this government," Steenson said. “Immigration, cost of living, housing, health. The list is endless.”He added: "Imagine we have political parties and politicians who would come out and protest against Irish people wanting a better quality of life for our people? And then they’ll knock at your door and tell you they represent you.”John StephensCllr Stephens is the Fianna Fáil candidate and is the current Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin. He has worked in administration in the Mater Hospital for the last twenty-five years.He was elected to Dublin City Council in 2024 and represents the Cabra Glasnevin Local Electoral Area. Speaking after his selection as Fianna Fáil candidate, Cllr Stephens said: “It is an honour to be selected as the Fianna Fáil candidate for Dublin Central. I have lived, worked and played an active role in this community throughout my life.“Born in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin Central has always been my home. I am from here. I have lived the experiences of people in this community, I experienced the challenges the community face and I share their hopes for the future.“I will be contesting the election on three clear priorities, making Dublin Central safer, cleaner and tackling the housing challenges facing local families. Dublin Central needs someone from the community to voice their issues within the largest party of Government.”Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. 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