Sorca_Clarke

Sorca Clarke

Sorca Clarke

Irish politician (born 1978/1979)

Sorca Clarke (born 1978/1979) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Longford–Westmeath constituency since the 2020 general election.[2] She was elected on the first count and is the first Sinn Féin TD to serve the constituency since Ruairí Ó Brádaigh in 1957.[3]

Quick Facts TD, Teachta Dála ...

Political career

Clarke joined Sinn Féin in 2004[4] and first ran for office in 2009 when she unsuccessfully stood in the 2009 Irish local elections for Mullingar West in County Westmeath.[5] She succeeded in her next attempt and became a member of Westmeath County Council at the 2014 local elections.[5] She lost her seat on the council in the 2019 elections, placing just 9th out of 14 candidates, but became a Teachta Dála in 2020 as part of Sinn Féin's surge that year, topping the poll in her constituency.[6]

Early and personal life

Clarke is from Artane, Dublin. She moved to Mullingar with her husband, Darren Caulfield, in 2005 where they run a security business together[4][7] They have four children, including one with autism.

Clarke's grandfather was a member of the Irish Republican Army and was interned in the Curragh Camp for membership of a proscribed organisation. In his later years, he joined Sinn Féin the Workers' Party following the 1969 split.[4]

References

  1. [1]
    Carswell, Simon; Keena, Colm (13 February 2020). "Younger voters consider IRA past to be 'history', say new Sinn Féin TDs". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  2. [2]
    "Sorca Clarke". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  3. [3]
    "Sinn Féin Storms Ahead In First Longford-Westmeath Count". Midlands 103. 9 February 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  4. [4]
    Ryan, Tim (2020). Nealon's Guide to the 33rd Dáil and 26th Seanad and the 2019 local and European elections. The Irish Times. p. 120.
  5. [5]
    "Sorcha Clarke". Elections Ireland. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  6. [6]
    Keena, Colm (11 February 2020). "Longford-Westmeath results: Sorca Clarke tops poll as Boxer Moran loses seat". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  7. [7]
    "Election 2020: Sorca Clarke (Sinn Féin)". Irish Times. 9 February 2020. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
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