Tony O’Donnell has been nominated by Fine Gael to contest the 2009 local elections in the Kildare Local Electoral Area. He is 29 and lives in Kildare Town, and with the exception of a few years studying in Dublin, and a brief spell in London, he has lived in the area all his life.
Tony works as a research engineer with a large multinational IT firm. He has previously worked as a consultant on public sector human and social services projects. Before that he was a researcher in Trinity College Dublin, where he also lectured third year engineering. He holds a PhD in computer science and a bachelors degree in engineering both from Trinity.
He is particularly interested in building sustainable communities through better provision of social infrastructure, local employment, improved public transport and better use of Garda resources.
Tony has been involved in politics in Kildare and further afield for nearly 10 years. He is a former vice-chair of Kildare South Fine Gael. He was the youngest person to contest the 2002 Seanad election. From 2002-2004, he served as Vice-Chair of the National Union of Journalists Press & PR Branch in Dublin; and he was TCDSU Deputy President 2001-2002. At the moment he helps co-ordinate the work of the Kildare Rail Users’ Group of which he is a founding member, and he is a member of the Kildare Derby Festival Committee.
He also represented the EU at the 2004 Copenhagen Consensus Youth Forum, at which he gave a speech on the economic benefits of conflict resolution in the third world.
Outside of politics, Tony is very involved in the GAA. He is the current chairman of Round Towers GFCin Kildare Town, and has served on the club committee for four years.
He also likes reading and writing, the latter thanks to being a one-time journalist and newspaper editor.
Education
- Primary: Scoil Mhuire Ballymany Newbridge, Scoil Bhride Milltown
- Secondary: Newbridge College
- Third Level: BA BAI (engineering) Trinity College Dublin, PhD Trinity College Dublin
Family
Tony is the son of Dan and Catherine (née Ennis) O’Donnell. Dan is originally from Letterkenny, and has worked as a Department of Agriculture official in Kildare for 35 years. Catherine is a member of the long-established Ennis family of Guidenstown between Kildare and Rathangan. She worked as a nurse in the district until recently, where she cared for the elderly in Monasterevin, Rathangan and Kildare.
Tony has one brother Mark (16) and sister Emer (25).
October 22, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I know you are travelling a lot but what kind of job?
October 22, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Mainly IT consulting and training on social welfare projects for lots of government agencies, but none here.
January 14, 2008 at 10:57 am
Heh well done on the BLOG. A 33 year old like me would not be into modern technology. A BLOG seems like something from outer space. However I am beginning to understand the concept and the merits of a BLOG ….UP FINE GAEL
Brian
June 24, 2008 at 9:14 am
Enjoyed the boundary changes analysis! I take it you’re happy enough personally with how it worked out?
June 24, 2008 at 9:16 am
It’s pretty close to my own proposal – so it’d be rude to complain!
October 3, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Um… I have a blog? Check it out?
October 20, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Good blog Tony but why is everything written in the 3rd person?
Oh I have a blog as well I just created it. Oh and if you need any programming or web site stuff done for the campaign id be happy to help.
October 21, 2008 at 9:56 am
Thanks for the comment Shane. The 3rd person pieces are press releases\statements to the media – which explains the third person format.
October 27, 2008 at 11:07 am
Hi Tony,
Great to see that another Fine Gael member has a blog.
What paper did you edit/write for by the way?
Good luck in the Locals!!!
Le dea-mhéin
Darren (Mac an Phríora)
October 27, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I was the editor of the University Record in Trinity, and I have written freelance pieces in the past for the Sunday Tribune, the Sunday Business Post and the teachers’ magazine ASTIR.
October 27, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I have a degree in Journalism myself. A diploma from Coláiste Dhúlaigh and a degree from the University of Wolverhampton. I am happy with citizen journalism (there is even a lecture on the subject in the Journalism course in Griffith College) though. And while it’s marginal (and I’m not a crank) I enjoyed the three years and they were very beneficial for me politically and for the work I did with Cork-based Gaeilge organisation Gael-Taca (www.gael-taca.com).
I’d rather be an independent than follow a corporate agenda although if I’m out of work some time in the future I might try a work experience stint for a week or two with one the better papers- probably The Irish News and/or SBP although I also read The Examiner, IT, Sunday Times and Tribune.
I am only working part-time now- in admin. in Near90fm in Coolock. I plan and aim to work full-time in the Community and Voluntary Sector while also being politically active to whatever degree.
As you can see from politics.ie and my blog (if you have ever had the misfortune to read it) I am a controversial bastard…
October 27, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Meant to be
smiley.
January 30, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Hi Tony,
Nice site and blog. The one area that I would take umbrage with is the tag on the top of your site where you list a series of places. As someone who was born close to Suncroft and is currently living in Maddenstown – you appear not to want to represent me at all. Can I take it that because of the prevalence of council housing in Suncroft, Maddenstown and Brownstown (and the Curragh perhaps) that you don’t want to associate with these? Are these Labour strongholds and you are not interested in their votes?
You might let us know. I do not have any political allegiance – but I do dislike when candidates appear to ‘forget’ about parts of their constituency.
Thanks
January 30, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Thanks for the comment James. Don’t worry – there’s no sinister reason for leaving out Suncroft. I ran out of space – and if I wanted to include everywhere the text would have become unreadably small. You can see that I have a more complete list in the Kildare Electoral Area link at the top of every page.
January 30, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Completely agree – you can’t possibly mention everywhere. However, as someone whose job is communications, I would suggest leaving a list of locations out – you are bound to offend those who you leave out – without any benefit of those who you listed.
Perhaps replace with a different tagline.
Thanks for your prompt response.
January 30, 2009 at 2:19 pm
That’s a good suggestion. I think doing it in a page rather than a banner is probably the best way of avoiding unnecessary offence.