Toiréasa Ferris

Ferris is a part-time tutor in law at Tralee Community College. She lives in Ardfert, County Kerry with her husband Patrick and their two children.{{cite web|url=http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/15159 |title=Toiréasa Ferris - EU candidate South | Sinn Féin |publisher=Sinnfein.ie |date= |accessdate=5 December 2010}} In 2001, Ferris spent seven months working in Mexico with a local workers' rights group.[http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/36157 An Phoblacht 13 November 2008][http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/15159 Sinn Féin profile]

Ferris started her political activism with Sinn Féin's youth wing Ógra Shinn Féin, in her native Tralee and at the University of Limerick. Co-opted in 2003 to the Kerry County Council seat held by her father, Martin Ferris, she immediately became the first Sinn Féin Cathaoirleach (chairperson) of the council. She was elected to the Council in 2004, and became the second female Mayor of the Council in 2005, serving until 2006.{{cite web|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/thekingdom/2005/07/07/story17776.asp |title=Mayor success inspires SF to look to the south of Kerry for more votes |publisher=Archives.tcm.ie|date=7 July 2005|accessdate=5 December 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2009/05/20/story92170.asp |title=Third South seat will come down to a dogfight|publisher=Archives.tcm.ie|date=20 May 2009|accessdate=5 December 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/15159 |title=Toiréasa Ferris - EU candidate South|publisher=Sinnfein.ie|date=|accessdate=5 December 2010}}

On 18 October 2008, she was selected as a candidate in the European Parliament election in 2009 for the South constituency. She received 64,671 of the first preference votes, coming third on the first count, but was not elected.{{cite web|url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=426|title=Toiréasa Ferris|work=ElectionsIreland.org|accessdate=30 March 2014}} In an article in the weekly newspaper An Phoblacht she gave an analysis of the current direction of the party, saying that the party "means nothing" to the bulk of people in the Republic, and that there was a perception amongst voters that Sinn Féin was a northern-based party.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8192701.stm|title=Sinn Féin in 'significant' talks|publisher=BBC News|date=10 August 2009|accessdate=5 December 2010}}

In the 2014 Kerry County Council election, Ferris was elected on the first count and topped the poll in the Tralee local electoral area.{{cite web |url=http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/local_elections_2014_results_book.pdf |title=Local Elections 2014; Results, Transfer of Votes and Statistics |publisher=Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government |location=Dublin |date=June 2016 |accessdate=10 October 2016}} She retained her seat in 2019. The following month she ruled herself out of standing in the next general election on medical advice, while remaining on the county council.{{cite news |title=SF Kerry candidate withdraws name from general election |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0618/1056077-toireasa-ferris/ |accessdate=18 June 2019 |date=18 June 2019 }} She resigned from the council on health grounds in August 2019.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/toir%C3%A9asa-ferris-to-resign-council-seat-and-focus-on-family-1.4000286|title=Toiréasa Ferris to resign council seat and focus on family|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=28 August 2019}}

Ferris appeared on RTÉ's The Late Late Show in February 2006; in an interview with Pat Kenny, she said she could not condemn the killing of Garda Jerry McCabe in 1996. She stated that "It wouldn't be fair to condemn one individual action when over 3,000 were killed [in The Troubles]. I don't feel I have the right, or that it would be fair to condemn one individual act."{{cite web|url=http://www.limerickblogger.ie/blog/2006/02/anne-mccabe-on-toireasa-ferris |title=Anne McCabe on Toireasa Ferris |publisher=Limerickblogger.ie|date=14 February 2006|accessdate=5 December 2010}} The Late Late Show interview also caused comment because her "knee-length" skirt hiked up when she crossed her legs. RTÉ was sharply criticised for having their cameras pan her legs and skirt in the middle of the interview and creating a "tabloid" atmosphere and cheapening her appearance.{{cite web|url=http://www.the-kingdom.ie/news/story/?trs=cwkfkfojoj |title=Toireasa Ferris tells how TV storm left her in tears |publisher=The Kingdom.ie |date=5 December 2010}}

Fine Gael councillors on Kerry County Council attempted to table a vote of no confidence. However, owing to the support of Fianna Fáil councillors, she survived by a wide margin.{{cite web|author=|url=http://breaking.examiner.ie/world/?jp=CWEYOJOJOJSN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721123927/http://breaking.examiner.ie/world/?jp=CWEYOJOJOJSN |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 July 2011 |title=Motion of no confidence in Mayor of Kerry defeated |publisher=Breaking.examiner.ie |date=20 February 2006|accessdate=5 December 2010}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.the-kingdom.ie/news/story.asp?j=21155 The Kingdom article]

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Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sinn Féin local councillors in the Republic of Ireland

Category:Politicians from County Kerry

Category:Mayors of places in the Republic of Ireland

Category:Alumni of the University of Limerick

Category:Alumni of Queen's University Belfast

Category:Members of Kerry County Council