Laoise Ní Chárthaigh
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Laoise Ní Chárthaigh (pronounced [ˈɫ̪iːɕə nʲiː ˈxaːɾˠhəɟ] born February 1, 1983) is an Irish Fine Gael Party politician, and the youngest-ever member of the party's National Executive committee.
She is a native of Coachford, County Cork, Ireland and was educated at St Aloysius Girl's School in Cork. After becoming interested in political science at a young age, Ní Chárthaigh joined Fine Gael aged 16. Ní Chárthaigh joined the youth branch of the party, Young Fine Gael. Educated at Froebel College and at Trinity College Dublin, she was later co-opted to the College organising committee and was eventually elected Chairperson of the branch in April 2003 after a close contest. Under her tenure, the branch rapidly expanded and she was known for her flamboyance and wit.
During the 2002 General Election Ní Chárthaigh worked closely with several members of the party, including David Stanton in Cork East, Noel Coonan in Tipperary North, Olwyn Enright in Laois-Offaly and Sheila Terry in Dublin West. She went on to work with Fine Gael candidates in municipal and local elections in 2004, including Lucinda Creighton who was successfully elected to Dublin City Council. She has also worked with colleagues in Northern Ireland and is an active member of the Michael Collins Society.
At the 2004 Fine Gael Ard Fheis, Ní Chárthaigh joined over half a dozen other successful young candidates in being elected to the National Executive, in her case, from the constituency of Cork North West. At only 21 years and two months, she was the youngest person ever elected to the national body, whereon she serves on the Constitutional and Conferences Committee. She ran on a ticket of youth and energy, and has been an active and eager participant of numerous conventions, meetings and conferences.
Following on from a 'break' from politics in the Summer of 2005, where she worked with the Institute Politiques Européenes in Paris, France, Ní Chárthaigh returned to Dublin where she is employed as a primary school teacher for disadvantaged children. She is most interested in furthering women and minorities within the party, agricultural, educational and defence-related issues, is a native Irish speaker and speaks fluent French and German.
