This article is from page 4 of the 2006-12-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
ANNA Prior is the complete antithesis to the majority of our national politicians. She is young, female and softlyspoken with a list of ideologies, the strongest of which is republicanism and her hopes for a united Ireland.
The 22-year-old Ennis woman is hoping that her differences will make her an attractive candidate in the next General Election, as does Sinn Fein who announced the NUI Galway graduate as their candidate in Clare.
Born in England to republican-minded parents Ann and Brian, the family returned home to Ann’s home county when Anna was just nine.
The former student of history, politics and law explains that, while she was always interested in politics, she did not sign up for Sinn Fein until she was in college. Listing her heroes as Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro, the young woman plans to do a masters in human rights but, for the short term, the general election is to become her life.
As former mayor of Belfast, Alex Maskey, pointed out, “she is engaged to her boyfriend but married to the party” – although, as a member of Sinn Fein himself, fiancé Immanuel is hardly going to mind.
A member of Sinn Fein’s leading Ard Comhairle body, Anna believes that she is ready for the challenge ahead.
She told The Clare People that the party is using a selection of platforms to bring its policies and ideas to Clare.
“This is a long-term project and, in reality, change does not come overnight and especially the change we are looking for – radical progressive change on the ground,” she added.
She outlined health, Shannon Airport and republicanism and human rights issues as some of the issues on which she will build her campaign.
Launching her campaign, Councillor Maskey MLA said the party was conscious of gender balance in the party.
Pointing to Clare’s republican history and Pearce Doherty’s showing in the European election, he was optimistic about the party’s future in the county.
“We have a challenge ahead in Clare, no doubt about that, but politics in this part of the island is evolving as much as anywhere else and we think that there is a clear place in Irish society in Clare as there is anywhere else for us to build an alternative to the more conservative politics of the past,” he said.
“Anna’s strength will be working at grass roots level. She’s a highly intelligent person with a lot of experience for one so young,” he added.