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Revision as of 14:15, 14 August 2009 by 86.40.247.185 (talk) (→Political career)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Toiréasa Ferris Councillor | |
|---|---|
| Councillor on Kerry County Council | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2003 | |
| Constituency | Tralee |
| Mayor of Kerry | |
| In office 2007–2008 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1980-03-03) 3 March 1980 (age 44) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Alma mater | University of Limerick, Queen's University Belfast |
| Website | http://www.ferrisforeurope.ie/ |
Toiréasa Ferris (born 1980) is an Irish local politician. Her father, Martin Ferris, is a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) for Kerry North.
In March 2009, she was voted the 7th most beautiful politician in the world by Spain’s 20 Minutos newspaper.
Political career
In 2005, Toiréasa Ferris became the first female Mayor of Kerry, and the first Sinn Féin Cathaoirleach (Chairperson) of Kerry County Council. Co-opted in 2003 to the seat held by Sinn Féin Councillor, now TD (Member of Parliament) Martin Ferris, Toiréasa was elected of her own accord to the Kerry County Council in 2004, taking the first of 7 seats. She served as Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council between 2005 – 2006. At present, Cllr. Ferris serves as a full-time Sinn Féin Councillor on Kerry County Council and Tralee Town Council.
On 18 October 2008 she was selected as an MEP candidate in the European Parliament elections in 2009 for the South constituency. She was not elected after receiving 13% or 64,671 of the first preference vote. In an article in the weekly newspaper An Phoblacht she gave a frank analysis of the current direction of the party saying that the bulk of people in the Republic had a perception that Sinn Fein was a northern-based party.
Controversial Interview
In February 2006, she appeared on The Late Late Show and in an interview with Pat Kenny said she could not condemn the killing of Garda Jerry McCabe in Adare in 1996. Ferris stated that “It wouldn’t be fair to condemn one individual action when over 3,000 were killed. I don’t feel I have the right, or that it would be fair to condemn one individual act,”
The Pat Kenny Late Late Show interview also caused comment because her "knee-length" skirt hiked up when she crossed her legs. RTÉ was sharply criticised for having their cameras pan her legs and skirt in the middle of the interview and creating a "tabloid" atmosphere and cheapening her appearance. Fine Gael councillors in Kerry County Council attempted to table a vote of no confidence. However Councillor Ferris survived by a wide margin.
Personal life
Ferris is currently a part-time tutor in law at Tralee Community College. In 2001, Cllr Ferris spent seven months working in Mexico with a local workers' rights group.
References
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1164890/Oh-Yes-Minister-Meet-women-voted-worlds-stunning-politicians-WOULD-Sir-Humphrey-say--.html?ITO=1490 Oh Yes Minister! World's most stunning politicians
- Mayor success inspires SF to look to the south of Kerry for more votes
- Third South seat will come down to a dogfight
- Toiréasa Ferris - EU candidate South
- http://www.rte.ie/news/elections/european/south.html
- BBC Northern Ireland
- http://www.limerickblogger.ie/blog/2006/02/anne-mccabe-on-toireasa-ferris
- Breaking News
- An Phoblacht 13 November, 2008Sinn Féin profile