22 candidates will be contesting this year’s Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) sabbatical elections. With three or more candidates in the race for president, entertainment (ents) officer, and oifigeach na Gaeilge, this is one of the union’s most contested elections in recent memory.
The list of candidates was announced shortly after 6pm this evening by Chair of the Electoral Commission Daniel Walsh in front of a large crowd on the steps of House 6.
The campaign period will last from Monday, February 17 to Thursday, February 27. Students will be able to vote for the seven positions from Tuesday, February 25 to Thursday, February 27, with the election results being announced the same night that polling closes.
The list of candidates was announced shortly after 6pm this evening by Chair of the Electoral Commission Daniel Walsh in front of a large crowd on the steps of House 6.
The campaign period will last from Monday, February 17 to Thursday, February 27. Students will be able to vote for the seven positions from Tuesday, February 25 to Thursday, February 27, with the election results being announced the same night that polling closes.
President
Patrick Keegan, Giovanni Li and Seán Thim O’Leary will contest the race for TCDSU president.
Keegan is a junior sophister student of business and politics, and currently serves as TCDSU’s International Students Officer, a part time role. He is the current business school convenor in the union as well as a class representative. Since November, he has been the chair of Trinity Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (Trinity BDS), a pro-Palestinian pressure group, and is a longtime member of Ógra Shinn Féin, and a committee member since 2023. He has held positions in the College Historical Society (the Hist) and the Society for International Affairs (SOFIA). Keegan is originally from New York City.
Li is the current Ethnic Minorities Officer of TCDSU, as well as chair of the newly established Black and Minority Ethnic support group. According to his public Instagram profile, Li is also an analyst for the Student Management Fund and a member of Knitting Society and Korean Society committees.
Seán Thim O’Leary is a junior sophister PPES student. They have served as PPES Class Representative since 2022. Last April, O’Leary was elected as the first ever TCDSU archivist in an uncontested vote. In March of 2024, they organised a petition to impeach then-TCDSU President László Monarfi. They also currently serve as Chairperson of Trinity Social Democrats.
Education Officer
Conchúr Ó Cathasaigh and Buster Whaley will contest the race for Education Officer.
Conchúr Ó Cathasaigh is a senior sophister mathematics and statistics student. As chair of TCDSU electoral commission, he was responsible for the running of elections and referendums within the union last year. He previously served as chair of council and as an ordinary member of the union’s electoral commission.
Buster Whaley is a senior sophister PPES student from New York City and the co-editor-in-chief of TN2 Magazine. Last year he served as a section editor in both TN2 and Misc. Magazine. He was a creator and co-host of Trinity FM show Weather and Traffic for over two years, and twice was awarded the society’s Best Voice for Radio award.
Welfare & Equality Officer
Nina Crofts, John Garvey, Deirdre Leahy, Bargavi Maghadi and Lusin are contesting the Welfare and Equality race.
Lusin, who will campaign simply under their first name, is a final year Middle Eastern and European languages and cultures students, specialising in the Turkish language. Alongside her studies, she teaches English language classes to refugees and new-comers to Ireland as part of a College initiative.
Nina Crofts is a junior sophister PPES student. She currently serves as TCDSU citizenship officer and previously served as LGBT+ rights officer in 2023/2024. Crofts is also an active member of the College Historical Society (The Hist), serving as the society’s equality and inclusion officer in 2023/2024. Crofts is currently sex and relationships co-editor at Trinity News and has previously served as comment editor.
John Garvey is a senior sophister English and history student from Mayo. He previously served as welfare officer for Trinity Hall Junior Common Room (JCR). Garvey is a film & TV editor of TN2 Magazine.
Deirdre Leahy is a senior sophister occupational therapy student, and previously served as a member of the Halls JCR welfare team in 2022/23. She has been class rep for occupational therapy for two consecutive years.
Both Garvey and Leahy starred in the JCR Halls Musical Legally Blonde in 2022, which was directed by current Communications and Marketing Officer Beth Strahan.
Bhargavi Magadi is a student of Political Science and Economics, and has volunteered at SpunOut and Plan International YAP.
Communications & Marketing Officer
Channing Kehoe is the sole candidate in the race for communications and marketing officer.
Kehoe is a senior sophister student of law and political science, originally from Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently the public relations officer for Trinity Musical Theatre, and has had roles in productions of Footloose and Sweeney Todd. They have served as a class representative in the union for three years. Last academic year, they worked as the Design Editor for the college’s Journal of Criminology, Treasurer for DU Boxing Club, and as an Outreach mentor in the Law Society. Kehoe has interned for two consecutive summers in US Senator for Arizona’s Mark Kelly’s offices in Phoenix and Washington, D.C., and has also worked as an overseas voter outreach coordinator.
Entertainments Officer
Yuv Garg, Finn Hallwood, Kate Mason, Orla Norton, John O’Hara and Helen Tyrell are candidates in the highly contested race for Ents Officer.
Garg is a senior sophister global business student from New Delhi, and is the current welfare and inclusivity officer for Trinity Ents. Last year Garg acted as President of Trinity Indian Society, where he previously has also served as Treasurer and first year representative. From 2022-2023, Garg acted as Sports Officer for Trinity Hall Junior Common Room (JCR). As well as this, he is currently acting as Trinity College Dublin Ambassador for the Irish Graduates Network.
Finn Hallwood is a Junior Sophister Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering student from London, England. He is currently captain of the Dublin University men’s swim team, having served as an Ordinary Committee member of the society during his Senior Fresh year. He raised €525 for St Vincent de Paul and Amnesty International doing the Jailbreak challenge in 2023.
Kate Mason is a junior sophister history student, hailing from Dublin. Kate is currently the Festivals Coordinator for Trinity Orchestra, and plays the bassoon in the orchestra’s woodwind section. In this role, she was responsible for organising the orchestra’s festival outings, including opening for Rod Stewart and taking the stage at Forbidden Fruit and All Together Now. Prior to this, she served as the 2023/24 Tour coordinator for the orchestra, organising the orchestra’s collaboration with Strathclyde orchestra in Glasgow.
Orla Norton is a senior sophister psychology student, and previously served as events manager for Trinity French Society from 2022 to 2024. In her senior freshman year she was an S2S mentor, and has also been a part-time Research Assistant in Trinity.
John O’Hara is a junior sophister film student. He is currently active on the Trinity Ents committee, acting as the current public relations officer. Additionally, he is the current captain of Trinity’s men’s hockey team, having acted as the team’s PRO for the 2023/24 season.
Helen Tyrell is a senior sophister business and French student, and is currently the Vice-President of Fundraising at Trinity St. Vincent de Paul. She spent last year away on Erasmus at Strasbourg Business School.
Oifigeach na Gaeilge
Niamh Leddy, Abigail Moriarty and Aoife Ní Bhriain will contest the race for Oifigeach na Gaeilge, the second since the role was made a full-time
Niamh Leddy is a senior sophister european studies student, concentrating in French and Irish. She is currently taking part in An Scéim Conaithe, an Irish language initiative that promotes the use of Irish in Trinity Hall and on campus. She previously served as PRO of An Cumann Gaelach and a social media ambassador for Trinity.
Aoife Ní Bhriain is a senior sophister mathematics student. She is currently taking part in An Scéim Cónaithe for the second time. Alongside this, Ní Bhriain is a member of TCDSU Coiste na Gaeilge (Irish language committee). She is the current Events Manager of TradSoc, having previously been involved in the society as an OCM. She is a member of Fóram Cruite na nÓg, a national forum established to promote harping in Ireland, Ní Bhriain has also previously volunteered as an Irish Language officer in the Bray branch of the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
Abigail Moriarty is a senior sophister European studies student studying Irish and French. Moriarty has been Irish editor for the University Times for two years, and is currently Irish editor of the Trinity Journal of Histories. Moriarty is currently a part of TCDSU Rannóg an Aistriúcháin (translation team) and last year she was a member of the union’s Coiste na Gaeilge. She was a member of An Scéim Cónaithe during her first year of college. She currently teaches Irish at Gael Linn and has previously taught Irish at Brú Na Páirce in her home county of Kerry.
University Times Editor
Charlie Hastings and Sajal Singh will contest the race to be the next Editor of the University Times (UT).
Charlie Hastings is a senior sophister English and Italian student. It is his second run for editor of UT, having run against Brídín Ní-Fhearraigh Joyce to be the University Times Editor last year. Last year, he served as the Chair of the Editorial Board of the University Times. He previously served as music editor and assistant editor. He is a co-founder of Get a Grip Magazine.
Sajal Singh is a junior sophister student of English, and is currently the Features Editor at the University Times, after having spent the previous year as the Deputy Magazine Editor. She also serves as Art and Culture Deputy Editor at Trinity News.
Additional reporting by Annabelle Wadeson, Charlotte Kent, Luna Michelis and Mia Craven.
Editor’s note: This article was updated on February 6 to remove the surname of a candidate in the race for welfare and equality officer.