2011 General Election Candidates for South Tipperary

Sinn Fein

Name: Michael Brown

Party: Sinn Fein

Michael Brown took a seat on Cashel Town Council in 1985; he lost it in 1999 even though he increased his vote, and regained the seat in 2004.  Michael Brown is currently the Mayor of Cashel.

Name: Tom Hayes

Party: Fine Gael

Website: tomhayes.ie

Tom Hayes

Tom Hayes is a native of Cahervillahow, Golden, County Tipperary.  Tom was educated at Mount Mellary College, Waterford, Tipperary Vocational School and University College Cork, graduating with a Diploma in Public Administration.  He is married to Marian, a secondary school teacher in Cashel Community School.  Tom and Marian have three sons, Padriac, Ronan, and Cathal.  Tom is a full time public representative.  As well as politics, his interests include GAA, horseracing, greyhound racing, rugby and traditional music.  Tom began his career in politics when he was elected to Tipperary South Riding Council in 1991.  In 1997, he became a member of Seanad Éireann and acted as Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson on Agriculture.  In July 2001, Tom Hayes was elected to represent Tipperary South Riding in Dáil Éireann.  He was subsequently appointed Fine Gael Deputy Spokesperson on Agriculture & Food.  Deputy Hayes was returned to the 29^th Dáil in May 2002.  He then served as the Fine Gael Deputy Spokesperson on the Environment, with Special Responsibility for Heritage and Rural Affairs.  Deputy Hayes was returned to the 30^th Dáil in May 2007.  He is the sole Opposition TD in Tipperary South constituency.  He is sitting on the Committee for the Constitution, the Committee for Procedures and Privileges, and the Oireachtas Commission.  Deputy Hayes has served as Chairperson of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party since September 2002; he was re-elected in this capacity from September 2007 until March 2010.  In September 2010, Tom Hayes was appointed as Fine Gael’s Deputy Spokesperson for the Department of Transport, with Special Responsibility for Road Safety.

Name: Seamus Healy

Party: United Left Alliance

Seamus Healy

Seamus Healy was a TD for Tipperary South from 2000 to 2007.  He is part of the Clonmel based Workers and Unemployed Action Group which has a number of local representatives on South Tipperary County Council and Clonmel Borough Council.  A former hospital administrator, Healy was first elected to the 28^th Dáil at a by-election on 22 June 2000.  He was re-elected at the 2002 general election.  He lost his seat at the 2007 general election to Martin Mansergh of Fianna Fáil.  After losing his Dáil seat he has returned to serve as councillor in South Tipperary for Clonmel, being co-opted for Pat English, after which he was appointed to various committees such as the local Vocational Education Committee, promotion of the Irish language, and various water supply committees.  Seamus Healy was elected to South Tipperary County Council at the 2009 local elections.

Name: Martin Mansergh

Party: Fianna Fáil

Martin Mansergh

Martin Mansergh was born in England in 1946.  He is married to Liz and they have five children together.  Martin is the son of Tipperary-born Irish and Commonwealth historian Nicholas Mansergh and mother Diana.  Martin was educated at King’s School, Canterbury, in Kent, and Christ Church in Oxford, where he graduated with (PPE) M.A., D Phil. Degree in politics, philosophy and economics in Oxford, and obtained a Doctorate (thesis on 18^th century pre-revolutionary French history).  Martin is the co-owner of a farm with his brother near Tipperary, with a beef and suckler herd enterprise.  Apart from Northern Ireland, Martin has been involved in issues such as, inner city renewal, consultations with Churches and others on pro-life amendment, the beginnings of social partnership, agricultural policy, the development of the EU under successive treaties as well as maintenance of Irish neutrality, the expansion of Overseas Development Assistance, the merits of Fianna Fáil adopting the national minimum wage during the 2002 election, economic and tax strategy, including tax credits, the merits of reinstating the full Christmas bonus to Social Welfare recipients, the merits of public transport investment, historical and cultural projects, like the Pearse family home, the Irish College in Paris, the Boyne battle site, and Cathedral restorations.

Name: Mattie McGrath

Party: Independent

Website: mattiemcgrath.ie

Mattie McGrath

Mattie was born in September, 1958 and has lived in Newcastle, Clonmel, ever since.  He is married with eight children.  He attended St. Joseph’s College, Cahir, between 1971 and 1976 and, later, took a certificate programme in horticulture at Kildalton Agricultural College in Kilkenny in 1986, and he obtained a certificate in communication skills from University College Cork in 1992.  From 1977 to 1982 he was a Sales Representative servicing the agricultural industry in the local area.  Since 1983 he developed his own local plant hire business, Suirside Plant Hire, Newcastle, Clonmel, that employs eight full-time staff and provides essential services to businesses and residences with a focus on customer satisfaction.  Mattie was a member of South Tipperary County Council from 1999 to 2007.  Mattie served as chairperson of South Tipperary County Council from 2004 to 2005.  Mattie contested the 2007 General Election, for the Constituency of Tipperary South and West Waterford.  Mattie was a member of a Fianna Fáil party until recently.  He was elected to Dáil Éireann for the first time.

Paul McNally

Name: Paul McNally

Party: Green Party

Paul is an architect running a practise specialising in low-energy, ecological buildings. He is currently completing a Masters Degree in advanced energy and environmental studies at C.A. T. in north Wales. He is involved as a consultant in ‘The Village’ sustainable community project in Cloughjordan.

Name: Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy

Party: Fine Gael

Website: michael-murphy.ie

Michael Murphy is a businessman by profession and he is a senior executive with the Enfer Group.  In 2009, Michael was elected to South Tipperary County Council.  Michael is Chair of the Council’s Strategic Policy Committee on Physical and Economic Planning.

Name: Phil Prendergast

Party: Labour

Website: philprendergast.ie

Phil Prendergast

Senator Phil Prendergast is a General Election Candidate for Tipperary South Health, Social and Family Affairs and the Party Spokesperson on Older People.  Phil topped the poll in the Clonmel electoral area for Tipperary County Council in the 2004 local elections, as a candidate in the 2001 Tipperary South By-Election she secured just short of 8,000 votes (24.75%).  Phil was then elected to the Labour panel of the 23^rd Seanad.  Phil is Labour Party National spokesperson on The Older Person and Seanad spokesperson on Health, Arts & Sports and Social & Family Affairs.

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