In a significant milestone for the young political party, Aontú has secured its second seat in the Dáil with the election of 27-year-old Paul Lawless in Mayo. The maths and PE teacher will join party leader Peadár Tóibín as Aontú’s second representative in the national parliament.
Lawless took the final seat in the Mayo five-seater constituency, receiving 4,482 first preference votes and ultimately securing 9,506 votes by the 11th count. His victory comes alongside other elected representatives Rose Conway-Walsh (Sinn Féin), Alan Dillon (Fine Gael), Dara Calleary (Fianna Fáil), and Keira Keogh (Fine Gael).
Tóibín hailed the result as “historic”, emphasizing the challenges of winning a seat as a new party candidate. “Winning 93,000 votes is not easy. Taking on the political establishment is not easy,” he said, praising the party’s growing membership.
According to The Journal, as one of the youngest TDs in the 34th Dáil, Lawless represents a fresh face in Irish politics. The party continues to show promise, with a potential additional seat still in contention in Cavan-Monaghan with candidate Sarah O’Reilly.
Tóibín himself was returned as a TD in Meath West, receiving the second-highest number of first preference votes in his constituency. While Aontú’s Emer Tóibín was eliminated in Meath East, the party sees Lawless’s win as a significant step forward.