Politics very much in the blood for Tommy
THEY say politics is in the blood and that seems to be very true in the case of Tommy Cahill who is taking his first furore into the political game by running for UCC Student Union President.
Tommy, 21, is the son of well-known politician Councillor Michael Cahill who has been a member of Kerry County Council since 1990 and worked as a parliamentary assistant for former TD, Tom Fleming.
Tommy, is currently undertaking a MA in Accounting at UCC having completed a BA in Irish and Geography.
The Rossbeigh native is a well-known GAA man with his club, Glenbeigh-Glencar, Mid Kerry, and in college, including on the extended Sigerson panel.
Having been pushed by friends to take the leap and put his name forward for UCC Student Union President he is now busy on the campaign trail.
The decision to run was a late one by the Kerry man, who only decided 24 hours before the deadline that he would put his name forward. This left him with just 24 hours to write his manifesto and to get the required 500 signatures.
“It is a foot in the door of politics. I have a strong interest, and this is the first step in emulating my father’s achievements in politics,” he said
Key issues, he says, for students are the lack and cost of accommodation for students, so high on his agenda is to tackle this crisis.
Mental Health is also a huge concern and he wanted to ensure students access to services as soon as possible. The re-introduction of student grants and environmental issues are also on the agenda.
First off though he is hoping that he can arrange a meeting with Education Minister Richard Bruton to discuss student’s concerns.
He is remaining optimistic about his chances despite four other candidates being in the field.
“It would be a massive achievement if I get it. It would be great for the county to have a Kerry president of UCC student union.”
Voting closes today, Wednesday, March 21, and Tommy has a few aces up his sleeve for the campaign, including the ‘support’ of the Healy-Rae brothers in a tongue-incheek sketch that is doing the rounds on social media.
He has also got support from Mayo footballer, Aidan O’Shea.