Causeway councillor Margaret-Anne McKillop has joined Aontú
Aontú has announced Cllr Margaret-Anne McKillop as its newest elected representative.
Aontú has announced Cllr Margaret-Anne McKillop as its newest elected representative.
Ms Killop’s move to the party was announced at its annnual Think-in in Derry City on Saturday.
Cllr McKillop sits on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. She was formerly an SDLP councillor until she went independent last October (2025). Prior to that she was a Sinn Fein councillor before leaving in 2013.
Having joined Aontú, Ms McKillop said: "I will always stand by what I think is right. While I have worked for my community as an independent for almost a year now, I am delighted to announce I have joined Aontú.
“It has been refreshing to find a party which speaks common sense. A party which is pro-life, supportive of families, willing to raise its head above the parapet and stand up for what it believes in,” she added.
“It is great to find a party which will support me in my beliefs and with a drive to deliver real change forthe people. I have served as a councillor in The Glens for over 15 years and will continue to do so.
“With the support of my Aontú colleagues, I will be continuing my work to help those around me and fight for the services, housing and support that our community needs,” said Ms Killop.
Aontú party leader Peadar Tóibín described Cllr Killop as "a woman of integrity and principle, immersed in the bread and butter issues facing her community”.
“For years, her name has been synonymous with hard work and delivery in The Glens. She represents, I believe, a growing number of people within the SDLP and SF who are deeply unhappy that their leadership is no longer listening to the grassroots,” he added.
“She is the third elected rep who has joined Aontú in the last few months. We are delighted to have her."
Cllr McKillop lives in Cushendall in Co Antrim, and is married with three children and six grandchildren.
With the support of my Aontú colleagues, I will be continuing my work to help those around me and fight for the services, housing and support that our community needs.
The 56-year-old is passionate about early intervention for children with special educational needs. She set up a support group for parents of autistic children and brought a motion to council to make it more autism friendly.
She initially trained as a chef and worked in hospitality, before going back to university to study community development.
She used her skills to run a youth club with three staff. She is interested in gardening, the GAA, football and fundraising for the RNLI.