'I was on the canvas trail as a five-year-old': Young Cork woman elected to FF's National Executive

Eimear Collins grew up immersed in politics. Some of the 26-year-old West Cork woman’s earliest memories are of canvassing for local Fianna Fáil politicians in her community.

“My family down through the generations have been heavily involved in supporting Fianna Fáil down here in West Cork, and supporting the elected representatives and candidates running for election,” says Eimear, who is originally from Glengarriff and later moved with her family to Lisheen.

“So I would have canvassed all through my life. I think I would probably have been on the canvas trail as a five-year-old when there were town councils still happening in West Cork!”

Eimear, who works in communications, is now following in the footsteps of her political forebears. She was recently elected to Fianna Fáil’s Ard Comhairle, or National Executive.

The Ard Comhairle, explains Eimear, is “the governing body of the whole party. There’s about 50 of us elected to the Ard Comhairle and the term will run for around the next three years.”

She was one of 15 members seeking election to the female panel of the Ard Comhairle, which is made up of members elected at the Ard Fheis, nominees from each constituency, representatives from the parliamentary party and the councillors, as well as the vice-president and leader of the party.

“I will be meeting An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the General Secretary and the management of the whole Fianna Fáil party every six weeks – at least seven times a year,” says Eimear of the Ard Comhairle process. Sub-committees will be established to look after every aspect of the party, and Eimear expects to sit on a few of these as well as the main Ard Comhairle.

For Eimear, her role will be representative of three groups. As a member of the female panel, she will be a voice for women on the governing body. As a 26-year-old and a member who began her political journey with Ógra Fianna Fáil, she will represent the party’s youth contingent and, as a proud West Cork woman, she will speak for rural Ireland.

“Hopefully I can support these areas that I represent [on the Ard Comhairle],” says Eimear. Speaking of her supporters from each faction, she continues: “It was great to see the members put their faith in me and I hope I can represent them all”.

The youngest of four, Eimear credits her family – especially parents Anne and Mícheál - with instilling her with a lifelong passion for politics. “I’ve been lucky enough to be educated on the importance of politics and the importance of Fianna Fáil and where we come from,” she says. “So I think I just kind of naturally came to be interested in it all, and I was delighted to continue the great tradition that we have down here.”

For Eimear, the importance of politics and political engagement cannot be understated, particularly given Irish history. “I think it’s important to know where we come from,” she says, “and to know that 100 years ago many people struggled to get our independence”.

She acknowledges, however, that it can be difficult to reconcile the passion of the early days of the State with today’s politics: “I know sometimes that a lot of people get disillusioned with what happens and the different controversies. But I think it’s important to remember that lots of people fought for us to have a say in where this country is going, and I think it’s very important to carry it on.”

Considering the differences between the Ireland of today and the foundation of the State, Eimear continues: “We’ve come a long way. In my whole life, we’ve come a long way. So I think you’d be ashamed to lose that. No matter what you do in life, I think you should always use your vote and interact with the democratic process. I think politics is in everyday things, so I don’t think you can ignore it.

“You might not think it’s in your community, you might not feel it. But politics always plays a part, I think, in everything we do.”

Irish society has undoubtedly changed considerably in the last 100 years, not least for women. Engagement of women in politics, however, still remains a challenge. Campaign group See Her Elected, established in response to concerns around the low numbers of women elected to county councils, reports that just 27% of local councillors as of the 2024 elections are women. As a politically engaged young woman, what are Eimear’s hopes for the future of Irish women in politics?

“You need women to be part of the conversation. You need women to bring to life women’s issues. Of course, men interact with women and understand women’s issues, but I think there’s no better representation than a woman herself going through everyday issues that women face. I think we have to try and encourage them, whether it’s through quotas or just encouraging our strong, powerful women that we see in everyday life, that we all know, to go forward and give them a chance to soar.”

Recruiting women to politics is one thing, but retention is another challenge altogether. For women wishing to start families, in particular, the non-stop nature of political life can be off-putting.

Eimear believes that we are seeing changes in attitudes towards women who want to balance political careers with family life.

“I think it’s great to see that recently in the Dáil we’ve had high-profile female politicians take maternity leave. We’ve accepted that, and that’s the norm, which is great to see. I think that not all women will choose to have families, but some will and you have to accept them and encourage them to take the time off to grow their family, be with their family, and then return back to their workplace. Because, obviously, if they go off and never return then you lose another woman and you lose a critical voice to society and to politics.”

Eimear always felt supported to get involved in politics as a young woman at home in West Cork. She believes in paying this sentiment forward. “I was fortunate, people believed in me and gave me a chance. I hope that we can do the same for other women going forward.”

The future is bright for Eimear, as she continues her journey with Fianna Fáil. For now, she’s excited to sink her teeth into her Ard Comhairle role, but she’s ready and willing to take on any other opportunities that may present themselves.

“I think in this world,” she says, “it’s a bad thing to say no to anything. That’s what I’ve been growing to realise. Right now I’m very concentrated on getting this new role right and representing as many people as I can.”

What advice would she offer to any young woman considering a career in politics?

Confidence and self-belief are key.

“Don’t underestimate your own ability. Confidence isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you build over time. The more you put yourself forward, even when it feels uncomfortable, the more you will begin to trust your own voice and judgment.

“And finally,” Eimear adds, “back yourself. Surround yourself with people who support and challenge you in the right way. Always remember you are far more capable than you often give yourself credit for.”