14 candidates will contest this year’s Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) sabbatical elections, the highest number of candidates in recent years.
Of the six races, only one – the Entertainments Officer election – will be run uncontested, with only one candidate running. Two candidates are running in each of the races for TCDSU President, Education Officer, and Editor of the University Times. Three candidates are running in the election for Welfare & Equality Officer, with four running in the Communication & Marketing Officer race.
The announcement of the candidates was made this evening on the steps of House 6 by TCDSU Electoral Commission (EC) Chair Conor Casey.
President
Ralph Balfe
Ralph Balfe is currently completing a masters in Psychoanalytic Studies. He did his undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in Oxford University, where he served as environmental and ethics officer of the Balliol JCR.
Jenny Maguire
Jenny Maguire is an English Studies student. She has previously served as Gender Equality Officer for TCDSU, as well as LGBT+ Rights Officer for TCDSU prior to this. She has also acted as a TCDSU class representative, and has written for Trinity News in the past. She is currently a co-organiser of Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin.
Education Officer
Eoghan Gilroy
Eoghan Gilroy is a Senior Sophister Law and Political Science student. He has been the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Faculty Convenor for the past two years, where he represents students at both the University Council and the Faculty Executive Committee. He currently serves as a student representative at the Undergraduate Studies Committee and previously served as Access Officer in TCDSU.
Sé Ó hEidhin
Sé Ó hEidhin is a Senior Sophister Chemical and Molecular Modelling student. They are the current deputy STEM convenor of the union. They previously served as ethnic minorities officer.
Welfare & Equality Officer
Hamza Bana
Hamza Bana is a Junior Sophister Computer Science and Business student and the current Ethnic Minority Officer of TCDSU. He is an Ambassador of the Trinity Access Programme which works to increase access to third-level education for underrepresented groups. Prior to these roles, he worked as a Student 2 Student (S2S) Mentor.
Nathan Harrington
Nathan Harrington is a Junior Sophister Geography and Sociology student. He previously served as the second year Geography class representative for the union and of the Trinity Joint Honours board. He previously served as chair of Trinity Juggling Society. He is currently a volunteer with Scouting Ireland.
Hannah McAuley
Hannah McAuley is a Senior Sophister Radiation Therapy student. She has served as the TCDSU Off Campus Officer for the past two years where she has represented students who are based outside of the central Trinity campus as well as students who are on placement.
Communication & Marketing Officer
Connor Dempsey
Connor Dempsey is a Senior Sophister Philosophy, Political Science, Economics and Sociology (PPES) student. He is currently TCDSU engagement officer, a role he proposed creating at the final union council in April 2023. He previously served as citizenship officer. He was treasurer of the Student2Student (S2S) committee. Dempsey is originally from Chicago.
Michael McInerney
Michael McInerney is a Senior Sophister English student. He is the current class representative for final year English Studies. He founded and runs a book club in Trinity. He also works as a tour guide for Cycle Dublin Bike Tours.
Sarah Murnane
Sarah Murnane is Senior Sophister History and Politics student. She currently serves as Misc. Magazine’s Culture section editor and as The University Times’ Film and TV Editor. She has contributed articles to Trinity News’ Comment and Arts and Culture sections.
Beth Strahan
Beth Strahan is a Senior Sophister Drama and Theatre Studies student from Belfast. She has previously served as director of Trinity Musical Theatre, directing Sweet Charity in Hillary 2023. She was nominated for Best Individual at the 2023 Central Societies Committee Society of the Year awards. She also directed the Trinity Hall JCR musical Legally Blonde in 2022.
Entertainments Officer
Peadar Walsh
Peadar Walsh is a Senior Fresh Computer Science, Linguistics, and French student. He currently serves as the JCR Ents Officer. Walsh has participated in the Dragon’s Den final of the Trinity Entrepreneurial Society (TES) in which he won the third-place prize alongside his brother, Anthony Walsh.
Editor of the University Times
Charles Hastings
Charles Hastings is a Junior Sophister English and Italian student. He is the current chair of the editorial board of UT. He previously served as music editor and assistant editor. He is the co-founder of Get a Grip magazine and contributed to the LA School Report and Annenberg Media while attending the University of Southern California on exchange. He is also an S2S mentor in College.
Brídín Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce
Brídín Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce is a Senior Sophister student of English studies and a scholar. Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce has served as deputy news editor of the University Times since September. Last year she served as co-editor-in-chief of TN2 Magazine, having previously been the magazine’s literature editor. She is also member of staff with Evergreen Magazine which became a full member of Trinity Publications last semester.
Campaigning will officially begin on February 19, with voting taking place between February 27 and February 29. The results will be announced on February 29.
For the first time since 2020, voting in sabbatical elections will take place in person, with remote voting online available by request. Voting is open to all Trinity undergraduate and postgraduate students, by virtue of their automatic membership of TCDSU.
The elections will be conducted via the single transferable voting (STV) system, with a ‘re-open nominations’ (RON) option available on all ballots.
Following the passing of the Gaeilge Initiative referendum, nominations for the union’s first ever Oifigeach na Gaeilge (Irish language officer) have now opened, with candidates being announced next Friday. The election will take place concurrently with the other races.
Reporting by Evan Skidmore O’Reilly, Aidan Cusack, Charlotte Kent, Ellen Kenny, Conor Healy, Gabriela Gazaniga, Stephen Conneely, Ella Sloane and Emily Sheehan.
This article was amended on February 2 at 5:38pm to correct Ralph Balfe’s profile and on February 9 to amend Sé Ó hEidhin’s profile.
