35 to contest six university Seanad seats

Six university seats in Seanad Éireann are being contested by 35 candidates

Six university seats in Seanad Éireann are being contested by 35 candidates. When nominations closed yesterday, 24 candidates were competing for three National University of Ireland seats and 11 candidates for three University of Dublin (Trinity College) seats.

There are 103,000 electors in the NUI constituency and 48,880 on the University of Dublin register.

Ballot papers will be issued on June 19th and the poll will close at 11am on July 24th.

NUI candidates include outgoing senators Joe O'Toole, Feargal Quinn and Brendan Ryan as well as teaching union activists Paddy Healy, brother of outgoing Independent TD Séamus Healy, and Bernadine O'Sullivan.

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Also seeking election are environmental campaigner Brendan Price and Dr John Hillery, who is stepping down as president of the Medical Council to run in the election but will remain as an ordinary council member.

The candidates for the NUI seats are as follows:

Valerie Bresnihan, Woodbine Road, Booterstown, Co Dublin, a social and human rights researcher; Shane Brodbin, Grantham Place, Harrington Street, Dublin, a product manager; Mark Connolly, Summer Cove, Kinsale, Co Cork, a financial services official; Liam Crowley, Killorglin, Co Kerry, a solicitor;

Mark Garavan, Ross West, Castlebar, Co Mayo, a lecturer and sociologist; Paddy Healy, Griffith Court, Fairview, Dublin, immediate past-president of the Teachers' Union of Ireland and lecturer; John Anthony Hillery, St Margaret's, Cross Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, a doctor;

Martin Hogan, Poddle Green, Kimmage, Dublin, Green reform candidate and business mentor; John Paul Kennedy, Knocknashee, Goatstown, Dublin, a software engineer and Young Fine Gael-endorsed candidate; Martina Lowe, Rathmichael Park, Shankill, Co Dublin, director of Get Ahead;

Dáithí Mac Cárthaigh, Ráth Chairn, Baile Átha Buí, Contae na Mí, abhcóide/a barrister; Oonagh Monahan, Dromahair, Co Leitrim, a business manager; Rónán Mullen, Ahascragh, Co Galway, a barrister, teacher and columnist; Bernie O'Callaghan, Bay View Hotel, Killybegs, Co Donegal, a hotelier;

Liam Ó Gógáin, Muirhevna, Dublin Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, an engineer and lecturer; Mary O'Riordan, Friarstown Park, Ballyclough, Co Limerick, a doctor; Linda O'Shea Farren, Raglan Road, Dublin, a solicitor and human rights advocate;

Bernadine O'Sullivan, Fortfield Road, Terenure, Dublin, a secondary school teacher; Joe O'Toole, Thornton, Kilsallaghan, Co Dublin, senator and educationalist; Susan Philips, Ballinacolla, Glenealy, Co Wicklow, a political analyst;

Brendan Price, Tobergregan, Garristown, Co Dublin, a biologist and a founder of the Irish Seal Sanctuary; Senator Feargal Quinn, Edros, Baily, Co Dublin; Senator Brendan Ryan, Middle Glanmire Road, Cork, also a lecturer in chemical engineering; and Daniel Sullivan, Abbeyvale, Corbally, Limerick, a disability activist and software development researcher.

In the Trinity constituency, Senator Mary Henry is stepping down, but her two colleagues, Senator David Norris and Senator Shane Ross, are standing again.

Other candidates include Prof Ivana Bacik, who ran for Labour in the 2004 European elections but is standing as an Independent in this election, and Seán O'Connor, a grandson of the late taoiseach Seán Lemass.

The full list of University of Dublin candidates is as follows: Prof Ivana Bacik, a lecturer; Shay Conway, a research analyst and commercial mediator; Stephen Douglas, a parliamentary adviser to Labour TD Mary Upton; Ike Efobi, a systems analyst and IT auditor; Maurice Guéret, a doctor; David Hutchinson Edgar, a lecturer;

Rosaleen McDonagh, a community development co-ordinator; David Martin, a secondary school teacher; Senator David Norris; Seán O'Connor, a sports promoter and businessman; and Senator Shane Ross, a journalist.

A further 11 senators are appointed by the Taoiseach and 43 are elected from five special panels by members of the Oireachtas and by local councillors.

Nominations for these 43 seats have not yet been completed.