Sharon Nolan (Social Democrats- Galway City Central)

Name: Sharon Nolan

Age: 27

Preferred pronouns: she/her

Party: Social Democrats

Local electoral area: Galway City Central

Is this your first time running? Yes

What are your reasons for running as a young person in politics?

I’m running in the local elections as I want to help bring change to Galway city. Throughout my years of activism I never envisioned myself trying to become a “politician” – but seeing how politicised our lives as women and queer people can be, I wanted to try and reclaim some space to help us speak to our own lived experiences and community needs and uplift others alongside me. Galway is a vibrant, young and diverse city, but our council chamber doesn’t currently reflect that very well. I want to work towards a long term vision for Galway city, with planning and actions that represents the diversity of needs within our city.

Ireland’s political landscape has changed so much in the last 5 years, yet our political representatives have not had the same progress. A whole new generation have dived headfirst into to political campaigning through Marriage Equality and the Repeal campaigns. Grassroots activism was key in these changes – and we are ready to tackle even more injustices such as housing rights and climate action. I firmly believe that these same grassroots hold the power to changing local politics for the better – so make sure to go out and use your vote!