Cootehill-born Mayor of Dublin awaits results of bye-election

Ray McAdam, the son of Anne and Pat McAdam from Cootehill, says Fine Gael has 'always been in my blood'

RAY McAdam, the Cavan-born Mayor of Dublin, is today standing for election as the Fine Gael candidate in the Dublin Central bye-election.

According to an Irish Times/Ipsos/TG4/B&A poll last week, Councillor McAdam is among the top four candidates in contention to fill the seat which was left vacant by former Finance Minister and Fine Gael TD, Paschal Donohoe last November.

Deputy Donohoe left Irish politics to take up a role as the managing director and chief knowledge officer at the World Bank in Washington DC.

Councillor McAdam’s main competitors include Janice Boylan (Sinn Féin), Daniel Ennis (Social Democrats) and Gerry Hutch (Independent).

In July last year, the Dublin City Councillor was elected as the 358th Lord Mayor of Dublin.

His Fine Gael profile describes Ray McAdam as a “poll-topping councillor” on Dublin City Council stating that he was first elected to the capital’s council in 2009 and has had the “privilege” of being re-elected in every election since.

Born in Cavan to a well-known Fine Gael family from Cootehill, Ray grew up in the border village of Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh. His parents are Anne and Pat McAdam and he has one sister, Leeanne and a brother, Ryan.

He attended St Michael’s College in Enniskillen before entering Trinity College Dublin in 2002 to study philosophy and politics. It was at this time, that Ray also joined Fine Gael.

His mother, Anne (née Clarke), is from New Line in Cootehill, where her family were very involved in hurling and camogie, as well as Fine Gael.

His maternal great-grandfather, James ('Jemmy') Clarke, was one of the founders of the first Fine Gael cumann in Cootehill in the 1930s.

From 2005 to 2009, Ray served as Parliamentary Assistant to former Minister and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe, whose constituency seat he is now hoping to win.

Mr McAdam has lived in the capital for the past 25 years and is married to Niamh. Together they have one son.

When asked why he got into politics Ray McAdam once said: “Fine Gael has always been in my blood, but I only decided to get actively involved with the party when I came to college.”

He also listed his hobbies as football and hurling, horse racing and Chelsea FC.

There is also a bye-election in Galway West today to fill the Dáil seat vacated by President Catherine Connolly.

Fourteen candidates appear on the ballot paper in Dublin Central, hoping to fill the seat vacated by former minister for finance Paschal Donohoe.

Given turnout in bye-elections is normally lower, and the fact the electorate is smaller, Dublin Central may produce a result sometime tomorrow evening.

Boxes from 21 polling stations in Dublin Central will be brought to the RDS on Dublin's southside for counting.

The turnout in Dublin Central in the last general election was 52.3%.