Mol an óige: Louis O’Hara TD
Louis O’Hara became the first ever Sinn Féin TD elected in Galway East when he claimed the constituency’s fourth and final seat at the 2024 general election. After 18 months in Leinster House, he sits down with Ciaran Brennan to discuss his political origins, his priorities for Galway East, and Irish unity.
Louis O’Hara TD does not come from an overtly political family. Describing his parents as “probably being from the Fine Gael tradition”, the Athenry native jokes that he is not sure where his attraction to Sinn Féin comes from.
Although his immediate family has no political ties, O’Hara is the great-grandnephew of former Irish Parliamentary Party MP for West Kerry Thomas O’Donnell who was the first MP to speak Irish in the House of Commons.
O’Hara says his interest in politics arose from a love for Irish history, adding that he was always inclined towards a republican perspective. Elaborating on this, he says: “It is not in our interests to have people in London making decisions for part of our island and obviously that affects the entire island.”
This led him to joining Sinn Féin at 17, just before the 2016 general election. The 27-year-old explains that he found the party’s stances on republicanism, Irish unity, and social justice reflected his own.
O’Hara identifies former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams as a political influence and credits him with making Sinn Féin one of the mainstream parties in Irish politics: “You cannot understate the impact that he had and, like I say, he was always someone that I really looked up to and was inspired by,” he says.
O’Hara got more politically involved after qualifying with a master of arts in public activism and advocacy from the University of Galway when he became constituency manager for former Sinn Féin MEP Chris McManus. He describes the role, which he held until the 2024 general election, as a valuable learning experience.
O’Hara was unsuccessful in his first two attempts at election at the 2019 local and 2020 general elections. His perseverance paid dividends when he was elected to Galway County Council in June 2024 before his election to the Dáil in November 2024 as he took the newly created fourth seat in Galway East.
“It is not in our interests to have people in London making decisions for part of our island and obviously that affects the entire island.” Louis O’Hara TD
Housing
When discussing his priorities, O’Hara identifies housing as “the most pressing issue” he has faced since becoming a TD. He says: “That crisis has never been as bad as it is now. It is shocking. Even people who do end up homeless, there is a waiting list for emergency accommodation in Galway. You have people sleeping in their cars and all kinds of things.”
The Athenry native claims that not one affordable home has been delivered in Galway East in recent years. He says this is “absolutely appalling at a time when house prices are through the roof”, and many are “trapped paying unaffordable rents”. O’Hara contends that this is why there are “so many people leaving the country”.
The 27-year-old indicates that a change of focus from government and increased investment in public housing is necessary to address the lack of delivery of affordable housing. He says the current lack of waste water treatment facilities must be addressed to ensure the deliver of private housing.
O’Hara also references a report by Galway County Council, published in September 2025, which found that over 70 per cent of zoned land in Galway cannot be built upon due to problems with infrastructure including footpaths, public lighting, water networks, wastewater treatment plants, and electricity lines.
Cost-of-living
O’Hara says the cost-of-living is “the number one issue” he deals with in his constituency office. He compares the current cost-of-living crisis with the vision set out for equality of opportunity in the 1916 Proclamation.
“Today, when we see so many people who are just really struggling to get by with the cost-of-living and cannot afford to rent or to buy a home, we have a long way to go in terms of living up to the ideals of that proclamation.”
O’Hara takes aim at the current coalition government through this lens: “The Government is out of touch. They do not really get it. They do not really get the pressure that households are under.”
O’Hara criticises the 2026 Budget due to its removal of one-off-supports such as energy credits. He also says people with disabilities “were left €1,400 worse off in that budget compared to the previous years”. The Sinn Féin TD adds that many people with disabilities “have really been struggling to get by as a result of that”.
O’Hara, who has spokesperson duties for transport, says has “campaigned very actively” for the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor. He welcomes the reopening of the Athenry to Claremorris section, adding that he hopes it is extended to Sligo to enable a rail network serving all of the west of Ireland.
The Sinn Féin TD also discusses congestion issues in Galway City, saying: “For my constituents who have to commute in and out of the city for work, they are losing hours of their lives each and every week caught up in traffic.”
O’Hara identifies the delivery of the N6 Galway City outer ring road as crucial in addressing congestion in Galway City. In April 2026, An Coimisiún Pleanála approved planning permission for the road after 20 years of delays.
The 27-year-old says capacity on Galway City’s train and bus services exacerbate traffic congestion. To address this, he suggests that the existing single track serving the city be upgraded to a double track.
“There has been a real increase in demand for public transport, and that is a good thing, but I do not think the services have kept with that,” he says.
Irish unity
The Sinn Féin TD repeatedly indicates his desire to achieve Irish unity, saying it would be economically beneficial for the entire island. O’Hara asserts that the Government must “begin planning and preparing for Irish unity and actually setting out that vision for what a united Ireland should look like”.
He identifies the establishment of a citizens’ assembly, which he says Sinn Féin has “long argued” for, as critical in informing what Irish unity would entail.
“It is the Irish Government who has to lead on that so we do have the answer to that question as to what a united Ireland should look like. Until we have that, we are not really going to go any further with it.
“We are very close to a referendum in my view and we need to be prepared for that. If a referendum is called, and we are not able to say exactly how things are going to look when that referendum happens, then we are doing ourselves a real disservice and it will be really difficult for us to win that referendum.”
Although O’Hara says presenting a clear vision of Irish unity would be crucial to a ‘yes’ vote, he is unable to provide his own vision for how existing systems in both jurisdictions could operate in a united Ireland.
When asked if he believes state bodies in the Republic should subsume those in the North; if state bodies both jurisdictions should continue to operate separately; or if entirely new state bodies be formed, O’Hara says: “There needs to be a conversation about all of that and things looked at on a case-by-case basis.
“I am sure in many areas there are opportunities there in terms of, I suppose, reducing costs and reducing duplication and making things sort of more cost effective.”
The Galway East TD says the Government has “done as little as possible” in its work towards Irish unity. While O’Hara says there is “good work” being carried out under the Government’s Shared Island Initiative, he adds: “They have not actually done anything as specifically in terms of the constitutional question and preparing for that and it is a huge missed opportunity.
“It is irresponsible in my view when we are close to a referendum to Irish unity for the Government not to be willing to kind of prepare for that and when the conversation is happening without them.”
When asked what Sinn Féin is doing that the Government is not, O’Hara says the party has “produced a number of different reports”. Stating that “Irish unity is not just a Sinn Féin thing”, he calls for the publication of a green paper along with the establishment of a citizens’ assembly and an Oireachtas committee on the matter.
“The Government is out of touch. They do not really get it. They do not really get the pressure that households are under.” Louis O’Hara TD
Europe
O’Hara identifies the State’s EU membership as important to achieving Irish unity. He outlines his support for the EU but adds that it “has certainly gone too far”. O’Hara continues: “We have lost a lot of our decision-making power.”
He asserts that this is illustrated by the Mercosur agreement which was collectively endorsed by the EU in January 2026 but which the Irish Government opposed. The Galway East TD identifies the adoption of the EU Asylum and Migration Pact in May 2024 as another example of the State “handing away decision-making powers” to the EU.
“I think we have gone too far in that respect in some instances in terms of the EU being able to make decisions for us that are not necessarily always in our best interests and do not recognise our unique circumstances as an island nation on the periphery of Europe,” says O’Hara.
Future
O’Hara joined Sinn Féin as it stepped into the centre of Dáil Éireann. When asked how he believes Sinn Féin can take the next step and form a government, he says the party needs to focus on engaging with people on policy relating to issues such as migration, housing, and healthcare.
“These are the real policy areas that are important to people in their day-to-day lives,” he says.
“Right now we have to focus on being an effective opposition and on trying to achieve change for people in the here and now who are really struggling.
“When that time does come, we need to be able to set out a clear vision in those policy areas of what we stand for and what we represent and how we will change things for people and, if we can do that successfully, I think we have a very good chance of being in government at the next election.”
When asked about his own future political ambitions, O’Hara says: “Just doing a good job here on behalf of people in Galway is probably my number one focus here as a first time TD. Just to keep the head down, keep at it, and we will see how things go from there.”
