Sorca Clarke (born 1978/1979) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Longford–Westmeath constituency since the 2020 general election.[2] She was elected on the first count and is the first Sinn Féin TD to serve the constituency since Ruairí Ó Brádaigh in 1957.[3]
Sorca Clarke | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Clarke in 2022 | |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office February 2020 | |
| Constituency | Longford–Westmeath |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1978 or 1979 (age 45–46)[1] Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Spouse | Darren Caulfield |
| Children | 4 |
Political career
editClarke joined Sinn Féin in 2004[4] and first ran for office in 2009 when she unsuccessfully stood in the 2009 Irish local elections for Mullingar West in County Westmeath.[5] She succeeded in her next attempt and became a member of Westmeath County Council at the 2014 local elections.[5] She lost her seat on the council in the 2019 elections, placing just 9th out of 14 candidates, but became a TD in 2020 as part of Sinn Féin's surge that year, topping the poll in her constituency.[6]
Early and personal life
editClarke is from Artane, Dublin. She moved to Mullingar with her husband, Darren Caulfield, in 2005 where they run a security business together[4][7] They have four children, including one with autism.
Clarke's grandfather was a member of the Irish Republican Army and was interned in the Curragh Camp for membership of a proscribed organisation. In his later years, he joined Sinn Féin the Workers' Party following the 1969 split.[4]
References
edit- ^ Carswell, Simon; Keena, Colm (13 February 2020). "Younger voters consider IRA past to be 'history', say new Sinn Féin TDs". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ "Sorca Clarke". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ "Sinn Féin Storms Ahead In First Longford-Westmeath Count". Midlands 103. 9 February 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ a b c Ryan, Tim (2020). Nealon's Guide to the 33rd Dáil and 26th Seanad and the 2019 local and European elections. The Irish Times. p. 120.
- ^ a b "Sorcha Clarke". Elections Ireland. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ Keena, Colm (11 February 2020). "Longford-Westmeath results: Sorca Clarke tops poll as Boxer Moran loses seat". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ "Election 2020: Sorca Clarke (Sinn Féin)". Irish Times. 9 February 2020. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.