Former Newry, Mourne and Down Council chair Roisin Mulgrew has joined Aontú – and will contest the upcoming election in the North.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD confirmed the move, hailing the former Sinn Féin councillor as a “woman of integrity and a dedicated community activist” who has “spent years on the front lines for the people of Newry and South Armagh”.
Ms Mulgrew, who served nine years on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and previously announced she would not stand again for Sinn Féin in the 2023 local elections, will now run under the Aontú banner as what Deputy Tóibín called a “principled, common-sense alternative”.
During her time on council, Ms Mulgrew served as Chairperson and built a strong profile locally, particularly around health and regeneration issues.
Deputy Tóibín highlighted her long-running campaign for services at Daisy Hill Hospital and her leadership of the council’s Enterprise, Regeneration and Tourism Committee, where she “championed the Newry City Centre Regeneration and the redevelopment of Newry Canal” and “oversaw rural development programmes that delivered vital infrastructure and support to local groups”.
He also pointed to her electoral record, noting that in the last election she contested she took 1,659 first-preference votes – more than 14% of the total – and was elected on the first count, which he said reflected the “deep trust the electorate holds in her leadership”.
When she first signalled her intention to step aside from council in 2022, Ms Mulgrew spoke of being “always proud to work for and with my community” and said she was “particularly delighted” to have helped secure funding for Derramore and Forkhill playschool and to have contributed to environmental improvement schemes across the district.
Back then, she also paid tribute to the voluntary, community and charity sector, describing it as “the very cornerstone of our society” and saying she would “forever be humbled” by its work.
Deputy Tóibín said her decision to return to frontline politics with Aontú showed that “people are looking for a party that puts families and communities first”.
“Aontú is the home for those who want real change,” he added. “We look forward to working with Roisín as we continue to grow our movement across the North, rooted in the actual needs of the people.”
