Tipp’s youngest female councillor says her age is a strength not a weakness.
Máirín McGrath has been speaking on the final day of Tipp FM’s Women in Politics week – stating that she is as passionate now about local government as she was four years ago.
Cllr. McGrath says that one of her main aims is to create an Ireland that people her age who have emigrated will want to come back to, and highlighted her intention to run again in 2024.
Speaking to Tipp FM she said that she has rarely experienced discrimination around her gender, but at times her youth may have been seen as a weakness:
“It brings different perspective altogether and I definitely feel it is a strength rather than a weakness, and I think maybe during the election and for some people I am sure think that my age is a weakness rather than a strength but I would definitely disagree I have a good understanding of a lot of issues that my generation face but still have an ability to understand people up the line and down the line, young and old, and the issues that they face on a daily basis.”
Cllr. McGrath went on to say she always encourages young people to engage in the political system.
She says that her age has offered her the ability to connect with a different demographic within the constituency, while also dealing with a number of complex concerns daily.
Cllr. McGrath said that she is always honest with aspiring politicians about the pros and cons but does believe participation is important from a young age :
“I was very involved in Comhairle na nÓg the youth council in Tipperary as a young person growing up and I so encourage youth participation no matter what it is in any kind of organization , young people have so much to offer and I think youth engagement in any sort of group is brilliant people I think have this perception and you go meet people at events and I suppose that is the enjoyable part, but day to day you are getting calls dealing with peoples difficult problems and you are trying your best to help them.”
