Nina saddles up for shot at European Parliament
Former jockey and businesswoman, Nina Carberry is to seek a nomination to run as a Fine Gael candidate in the European elections.
The decision of the former Cheltenham and Irish Grand National winner to seek the nomination in the Midlands North West constituency was announced in an email and video sent to constituency members on Monday.
The 39-year-old Ratoath native won RTÉ’s 'Dancing With The Stars' two years ago and was a coach on the Ireland’s Fittest Family competition since retiring as a jockey in 2018.
Currently a four seat constituency, there will be five seats available in the Midlands North West constituency in the European poll in June.
Since retiring as a jockey in 2018 after winning on the Enda Bolger-trained Josies Orders at the Punchestown festival, Carberry has remained in the spotlight and won the hit TV show Dancing With The Stars in 2022, proving she remained as popular as ever with the public. She also appeared as a coach on the RTE sports show, Ireland's Fittest Family.
Carberry, who rode seven festival winners at Cheltenham, hails from the well known Ratoath racing family and is the daughter of Pamela Moore and the late Tommy Carberry. In 2011, she won the Irish Grand National on Organisedconfusion, trained by her uncle, Arthur Moore, becoming only the second woman rider to win the race. Between 2006 and 2016, she competed in the Grand National six times.
Ms Carberry said: “In the Ireland and Europe of today, it is more important than ever for those who believe they can make a difference to put their hand up to make things happen."
In the last European elections, Mairead McGuinness and Maria Walsh won seats for Fine Gael in the constituency.
Colm Markey replaced Ms McGuinness when she stepped down to become a European Commissioner. Sinn Fein's Chris McManus and Independent, Luke Ming Flanagan, are the other sitting MEPS for the constituency.
Meanwhile, the housing campaigner, author and academic, Rory Hearne, has been officially selected as the Social Democrats’ Midlands-North-West candidate.
He is associate professor in social policy at Maynooth University and author of the best-selling book, ‘Gaffs’, which sets out a roadmap to solving the housing crisis.
In the local elections, Maria Uí Ruairc has been selected to run for Sinn Féin, joining sitting councillor Helen Meyer on the ticket for the Ashbourne Electoral Area.
Bean Uí Ruairc served as a county councillor for the Ratoath Electoral Area from 2014-2019. The Skryne native is a secondary school teacher and mother of three, and is married to Sinn Féin TD for Meath East, Darren O'Rourke.
She said: "I am looking forward to the campaign ahead. I know the challenges local communities face and the need for change. Addressing the housing crisis, at local and national level is Sinn Féin's number one priority.
"As a teacher and a mother, I think is essential that our children can get to and from school safely. For far too long we have seen local school communities struggle with Meath County Council to have basic traffic calming measures introduced."