Donegal Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Sinn Féin convention to select replacement for Tony McDaid and candidate for Stranorlar Electoral Area next Saturday

20 September, 2008

Sinn Féin convention to select replacement for Tony McDaid and candidate for Stranorlar Electoral Area next Saturday

Donegal Sinn Féin have confirmed that their convention to jointly select the person that will replace Tony McDaid on Donegal County Council and their candidate in the Stranorlar Electoral Area for next year's council election, will take place on Saturday 20th September in the Old Courthouse, Lifford at 8pm. The likely person to fill both roles is Ballybofey based health care professional, Cora Harvey.

Cora is married to Brian they have two children, Dean-james (5) and Naomh (2) they live in Ballybofey. Cora is the daughter of Roseanna and the Late Jim McAleer who was known as a life long republican and a prominent Sinn Féin activist. Cora followed in her father's footsteps and joined Sinn Fein at a young age and played an active part in local and general election campaigns over the past number of years and is currently the Chairperson of the local Sinn Féin Cumann.

Cora was educated in St. Marys School Stranorlar and St. Columbas College. She spent 3 years studying Nursing at the Western Area College of Nursing and then graduated in Mental Health Nursing in Queens University of Belfast. Cora then studied at the University of Ulster and gained a qualification in Addiction Studies, she furthered these studies by obtaining an Advanced Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling through Queens University of Belfast. Upon graduating Cora worked for a number of years as a Psychiatric Nurse in the Foyle Health and Social Services Trust before taking up Permanent employment with the then N.W.H.B, she is currently employed with the HSE West as a counsellor with the Mental Health Services in Letterkenny. Cora is a member of An Bord Altranais and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)


Cora spends most of her spare time with her family and was the former Secretary of the Twin Towns Community Playgroup before it's transition to Finn Child-Care.


Paying tribute to retiring Cllr Tony McDaid and confirming her candidacy, Cora Harvey said:

"Tony Mc Daid was an outstanding Councillor. He is a man of great integrity and genuineness. He was very well respected and held in the highest esteem by his constituents and by all in the Sinn Féin party. He will be a tough act to follow, as I believe he raised the bar to a very high standard. I do not underestimate the huge challenge that lays ahead but I am privileged to have an opportunity to follow in his footsteps and continue the work for his voters and constituents in his electoral area".


"I have family ties to the Letterkenny Electoral area and have worked there for many years so if selected by my fellow party members at convention, I look forward to that challenge in the nine months ahead. However, with the immense changes to the old Letterkenny and Stranorlar Electoral Areas, as a Ballybofey based representative, I am seeking to be the Sinn Féin candidate for next year's council election in the new Stranorlar Area, which incorporates the communities of St Johnston, Lifford, and Raphoe from the existing Letterkenny Electoral Area"

ENDS