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Mol an óige James O’Connor TD Ciarán Galway sits down with Fianna Fáil TD for Cork East, and youngest member of the Dáil, James O’Connor, to discuss party direction, current priorities, and ambitions for the future. As might be expected, O’Connor’s fascination with Irish politics began at a young age. Evidencing this, he recounts his ability to name the entire cabinet at the age of 11 years old. However, growing up on a small farm, his family life was entirely apolitical. Now, aged just 24, the Cork native is the youngest TD in the 33rd Dáil. Having previously undertaken a transition year internship with Micheál Martin TD, O’Connor then embarked upon a now deferred business, economics, and social studies course at Trinity College Dublin, where he was elected to Student’s Union in his first year. From there, he began an internship in the office of Jim O’Callaghan TD before,
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curiously, taking on a role with Mary Mitchell O’Connor, then a Fine Gael super junior minister. In 2019, he seized an opportunity to represent the MidletonYoughal local electoral area as a member of Cork County Council, deferring the completion of his degree at Trinity. Acknowledging that “I was lucky that there was an opportunity there”, he then actively lobbied to be added to the Fianna Fáil ticket for the general election, making phone calls to party leader Micheál Martin and general secretary Seán Dorgan.
