Ire is proud to have stuck by the political mantra as she brings a member of the county council
happened at a pivotal time in my youth. Enniskillen was where we went on a Saturday. Then suddenly (after the bombing) your accent became something that people there were acutely aware of. It was a terrible, terrible time.”
Maguire subsequently moved to Strandhill and has been working as a solicitor with a strong human rights base, practicing in the areas of mental health, child care and the environment.
Aside from her legal practice and her duties as a Councillor, Sinead is actively involved in the community through Doctor at the Crib, Strandhill Sounds and the Donal Parsons Trust. She is also a strong supporter of Coolera Dramatic Society and the Dorrins Strand group.
However, as far as being at the forefront of Co. Sligo politics, Sinead has decided to call time on that – although she insists that there was an exit strategy in place once she felt she had given all she could to the role, even if the decision was a tough choice to make.
She said: “It was something that took a lot of consideration because a seat is hard-won and I felt it to be a big privilege to have been elected in the first place.
“But ultimately, these roles are not for life. I have a young family and there were demands on my time. I felt that I would go into the Council for a period, give what I had to give and then leave.
“That was crystallised for me last September when I announced that I had given what I had to give and it was time to move on.
“It’s funny that you start with that question because I was recently at an event where the nominations for the candidates were announced. A senior politician commented on my position saying it was ‘an unusual one’. A few years ago, this politician gave an interview where he said that ‘you do what you can and then leave’.
“Now for him to say this (my departure) was ‘unusual’ was emblematic of the patriarchy that’s in politics. You give what you have to give and then leave it for the next person – who I think is a great candidate (Fergal Nealon).
“I don’t see it as a life-long job. I know there are some who choose to do that (stay on for as long as the electorate votes for them) – and I don’t judge anybody who makes that decision. But that wouldn’t be for me.
“It has been a huge burden being a Councillor as well as being a solicitor and raising a family. I did get good advice before I joined (the party) and I received good advice from people who said I could do this as quickly or as long as I liked.
“I’m the type of person who when I’m ‘there’ I’m ‘100 per cent there’.
So yes, (being a Councillor) took a lot of time and I was happy to do it – possibly because I didn’t see it as a life-long commitment.
“I also work – I’m a solicitor and I run my own practice and I’ve two young children. So between all those demands, it has been a very busy 10 years.
“Being a solicitor is a demanding job but I was lucky that I was self-employed because there was no way that I could have been employed elsewhere and done the job (as a Councillor). Because I could call my own hours, that gave me a flexibility.
“I’m looking forward to a little more time for me – I haven’t done any regular exercise for a very long time.
“I’m hoping to get back into that and develop a couple of interests I suppose. Not to mention spending more time with my kids and my family as well.
“As one of my friends said, get my life back.”