Daughter-in-law of late Martin McGuinness to contest Council Elections for Sinn Féin

Leona McGuinness on right, who is contesting May's Council Elections in Foyleside DEA for Sinn Féin, with Ciara Ferguson MLA, Cllr Grace Uí Niallais and Cllr Conor Heaney. | FB

placeholder image — Leona McGuinness on right, who is contesting May's Council Elections in Foyleside DEA for Sinn Féin, with Ciara Ferguson MLA, Cllr Grace Uí Niallais and Cllr Conor Heaney. | FB

Derry Sinn Féin has confirmed Leona McGuinness, daughter-in-law of the late Martin McGuinness, will be a party candidate in the forthcoming Local Council Elections.

Ms McGuinness will stand as one of the party’s three candidates in the city’s Foyleside District Electoral Area (DEA) in the elections which are scheduled to take place on May 6, 2027.

Foyleside DEA comprises the Ballymagroarty, Foyle Springs, Madam’s Bank, Northland and Springtown wards and returns five Derry City and Strabane District Councillors.

Ms McGuinness will join Sinn Féin’s sitting councillors, Grace Uí Niallais, the current Mayor, and Conor Heaney on the ballot.

In the 2023 Local Council Elections, Cllr Heaney was elected on the first count, topping the poll with 1,846 (25.77%) first preference votes. Cllr Uí Niallais was elected on the second count with 1,635 votes.

Cllr Shaun Harkin representing People Before Profit was elected on the fifth count with 1,239.15 votes, along with Cllr Shauna Cusack, then representing the SDLP, who received 1,200.35 votes, and Cllr Lillian Seenoi-Barr also representing the SDLP, who received 1,177.30 votes.

Cllr Cusack subsequently resigned from the SDLP on May 1, 2024 - along with party colleague Cllr Jason Barr (Sperrin DEA). Both councillors were critical of the SDLP’s mayoral selection process for the year 2024 to 2025, describing it as “undemocratic”.

The SDLP selected Cllr Seenoi-Barr as mayor, while Cllr Cusack and Cllr Barr continued to sit as Independents on Derry City and Strabane District Council.

The last time Sinn Féin fielded three candidates in Foyleside DEA was in the 2019 Local Council Election.

On that occasion, sitting Sinn Féin councillor Eric McGinley polled 1,020.29 votes but was eliminated on the fifth count, with Cllr Shaun Harkin lifting the seat. The third Sinn Féin candidate, Hayleigh Fleming, polled 644 votes and was eliminated on the second count.

Assuming all of the sitting candidates stand for election next year, it remains to be seen which, if any, councillor Ms McGuinness might unseat.

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), continually highlighted by the Concerned Residents Around Magee (CRAM), the future of Rosemount Factory, and traffic flow / congestion in the area are perhaps particular election issues which may come to the fore in Foyleside DEA.