President
The 2025/26 presidential campaign was one defined by a fierce RON campaign, strongly threatening a second cycle of nominations. Regardless, as the clock struck 1:30am in a tense Lost Lane, Seán Thim O’Leary was elected as your next SU president.
O’Leary’s campaign was defined by one term – lobbying. Highlighted by many, including O’Leary themselves, the jokes relating to the terms’ repetition in their campaign will manifest into reality in the next academic year. Speaking to Trinity News during the election, O’Leary noted that they “want to run a service-based, grassroots, welfare-oriented student’s union.” Indeed, the priorities of the president elect centre strongly on housing transportation rights, as they noted that they “think it can’t be understated just how big an issue housing is.” Their manifesto focused also on practical student issues – such as facilities in student spaces, expanded healthcare services for students, and a reintroduction of the student handbook.
Education
What ‘lobbying’ is to the SU president, ‘modular billing’ is to its vice. Buster Whaley, despite having no experience in the Student Union, built his successful campaign off of his commitment to fighting for College to implement modular billing – which would see students able to continue their academic progression even if they fail a module.
The mammoth task of trying to implement this system may harbour scepticism, especially for one so new to SU politics, however, Whaley remains firm in his commitment, noting that “focusing on one or two key things” would be his approach to the role. The second ‘key thing’ highlighted by the incumbent education officer is the introduction of a new student run café or dining hall, in an attempt to fight the lack of, and currently minimal access to affordable food on campus.
While speaking to Trinity News during the election, Whaley noted that “if you see a problem that you think should be changed, and think maybe [you] can make a difference and are passionate, that should be enough!” The upcoming year will be a test for this passion Whaley clearly harbours, though his commitment to improving student life rings loud and clear.
Welfare
Perhaps the most tightly contested race of the year, Deirdre Leahy was announced as the victor of the welfare and equality officer to a tired and tense crowd in Lost Lane.
Leahy punctuates the roster of SU members as the first health science student to be elected to a sabbatical position since 2017. Indeed, Leahy drew on her experience in her campaign, promising to use her practical experiences as an occupational therapy student to improve welfare supports to students.
Not only will Leahy act as a crucial representation of health sciences students, but noted to Trinity News that she has “unique experience of sitting on both sides of the table”, being a member of the disability service herself.
A key facet of Leahy’s manifesto is updating the booking of appointments with the student health service, which currently operates solely via phone call. Alongside this, Leahy promises to continue the provision of period products to students, to collaborate with the Ethnic Minorities officer to provide mandatory diversity and inclusion training, while pushing for improved supports for incoming and outgoing Erasmus students.
Ents
With a four-way race akin to Welfare, Orla Norton was crowned the victor. With ents experience as the events officer for the Trinity French society, Norton can draw on over 50 events which she has organised over the course of her academic career in Trinity.
Sustainability and welfare form key pillars in Norton’s campaign, with initiatives such as the addition of a sustainability officer to the ents committee, bystander training for the ents committee, and anti-spiking materials proposed by her manifesto. Indeed, Norton wants to see her term produce events that “become something big and something great.” Digital accessibility was also a key concern of the officer-elect, with a reform of the graphics on the Trinity Ents instagram proposed by Norton.
With the line-up of Trinity Ball facing criticism in recent years, Norton has pledged to focus on improving what she can control, such as event safety and crowd control.
Communications
The sole uncontested race in the 2025/26 cycle, Channing Kehoe easily won the position. With an eye to building on the policies of current officer Beth Strahan, Kehoe shares the theatre skills of their predecessor, with their active involvement in TMT offering relevant experience.
Speaking to Trinity News, Kehoe cited their political interests as grounds for a “unique perspective” to the role, Kehoe’s manifesto notes their commitment to ensuring that SU partnerships align with ‘student values’. Accessibility and visibility are also crucial tenets to Kehoe’s campaign, noting that the key way in which students would know what the SU does for them, is when they are aware of the initiatives the SU is working on.
As the key point of contact between the Union and students, Kehoe has put an emphasis on engagement with first year students, laying the foundation for a more SU-conscious cohort of students to rise through the academic years.
UT
Rising from last years’ unsuccessful campaign, Charlie Hastings will focus on community, visibility and accessibility.
The Irish language is a common theme in Hasting’s manifesto, and while he praises the actions taken in recent years, such as hiring a full-time Irish language Editor. Seeking to align UT with the current “rebirth of the Irish language”, he has proposed Irish language sections each week for all language levels – while adapting Irish language reporting to beyond mere translations of English writing.
Additionally, another notable feature of his campaign is an emphasis on community engagement – between an expansion of the social media, to hosting new events, to expanding the Irish Times x TAP journalism program, Hastings noted in his manifesto that “keeping the community informed and heard is the backbone of this campaign.”
Gaeilge
Seeking to build on the strong work completed by Pádraig, Aoife Ní Bhriain has been elected as the second Oifigeach na Gaeilge in TCDSU’s history. As a representative from the STEM department, her policies focus on including such students in the fray of union policy and ensuring that Irish language reform includes these departments. With a promise to put a glossary of Irish language versions for STEM terms, Ní Bhriain seeks to implement Irish as a facet of everyday life for students, rather than a mere SU policy.
With experience as the Irish language officer for Trad Soc, and greatly experienced in Irish translation, her expertise in the language will lay the groundwork for further reform of College life, and propelling of the Irish language towards further equality, as required by law.
