People Before Profit to run candidate in Dublin Central by-election

People Before Profit have confirmed that they will be running a candidate in the upcoming by-election in Dublin Central.

The by-election, triggered by Paschal Donohoe’s resignation, is seen as a major test of left-wing unity.

Dublin Central is home to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon and Labour TD Marie Sherlock, as the opposition looks to complete a clean sweep of holding all four seats.

People Before Profit will be running Eoghan Ó’Ceannabháin in the seat.

Ó’Ceannabháin nearly won a seat in the North Inner City election race in June 2024’s local elections, and secured 4.5% of the vote in November 2024’s local elections.

Ó’Ceannabháin said that combined with Clare Daly’s 4% of the vote in the general election, “there is a seat in this constituency for the radical left.”

“I’m proud to be selected as the People Before Profit candidate to contest the upcoming by-election for Dublin Central. The by-election will be another opportunity to reject Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and their failed, divisive policies,” he said.

Ó’Ceannabháin said that the recent vote on Dublin City Council to increase rents for council tenants will be a central campaign issue for him, putting Labour and the Greens in his crosshairs after the two parties voted alongside Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on that particular decision.

He said “the by-election will also be another opportunity for the left to cooperate to win as we did in propelling Catherine Connolly to the Presidency. I will be calling for “vote left, transfer left” and for left parties to rule out coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, to ensure that the people of Dublin Central will be presented by a fighter for their interests” which puts paid to the prospect of a united left-wing front for the Dublin Central and Galway West by-elections.

Last week, the Greens announced they would be running a candidate in Galway West, indicating that the parties of the centre-left to far-left will be running separately in the upcoming by-elections but may still be working towards a transfer pact.

Ó’Ceannabháin stated, “the cost-of-living crisis will also be a central focus of my campaign. Poverty levels among children, workers and retired people in Dublin Central are very high and getting worse as prices continue to soar. The cruel budget decision to end so many desperately needed income and cost-of-living supports has greatly increased the financial pressure on many, many households. I will be campaigning for the restoration of those supports and for price controls on energy, food and other essential goods to slash the cost of living,” he said.

A folk musician, Ó’Ceannabháin said he would also campaign on protecting cultural spaces in the constituency, drawing attention to the threatened closure of The Complex in Smithfield.

“I’m proud to have been part of the successful campaign to save the Cobblestone as an important site for Irish and folk music. This week, we are seeing artists having to fight tooth and nail once again to save their spaces – a major campaign is kicking off to save  The Complex, a vital resource for artists and musicians in the heart of the inner city.”