Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (SF)

A first-time general election candidate, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (27) won the Sinn Féin nomination to run in Cork South-Central last year when he beat current Lord Mayor, Chris O’Leary, in a run-off after they tied at convention.

From Togher on the city’s southside, Ó Laoghaire, who plays hurling with St Finbarr’s GAA club, has a law degree from UCC, where he joined Sinn Féin at the age of 18. He took a year off from his studies to work as national organiser for Ógra Sinn Féin.

Ó Laoghaire worked as a parliamentary assistant to Sinn Féin senators David Cullinane and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh and former Cork East Sinn Féin TD, Sandra McLellan, from 2011 until he was elected to Cork County Council in 2014.