Daniel Ennis was walking a group of children back from a training session at his football club, East Wall Bessborough, in late 2022 when they passed a protest outside a proposed accommodation centre for asylum seekers.
As they passed, protesters saw the group and started hurling abuse at the children, some of whom were from different ethnic backgrounds.
“Some of the language that was thrown at the kids, aged from six to nine, was horrible and will live with me forever,” Ennis says.
A former League of Ireland soccer player, Ennis (37) put all his efforts into the north inner city club, developing players and encouraging at-risk teenagers from different backgrounds to put their energies into sport.
But this was a critical moment for him. “I saw some of those actors who were the main drivers of the protest putting themselves forward to represent our community in the local elections. I had no family background in politics. It was then I decided I would jump forward because we needed positive leadership.”
And so he stood and was elected a councillor for the Social Democrats in 2024. Today he is standing on the junction of Manor Street and Aughrim Street in Dublin 7 as the party’s candidate in the Dublin Central byelection. A tall, imposing man with a shaved head, authentic backstory and easy manner, it is easy to see why Ennis is regarded as one of the favourites to take Paschal Donohoe’s old seat.
There’s a group of about a dozen with him as they move into trendy Stoneybatter, which would be a natural vote magnet for the SocDems. There’s still grittiness there; Ennis says antisocial behaviour does occur.
As we pass along the rows of pretty cottages, there are one or two refuseniks who won’t engage. After a flyer is pushed through a letterbox, a man opens the door, comes out and makes a big demonstration of ripping the brochure into pieces.
Daniel Ennis of Social Democrats speaks with Siobhan Killeen and her dog called “Billy” in Stoneybatter,Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan for The Irish Times.
That said, Ennis gets a generally positive reception, although it’s clear a lot are not up to the pitch of the campaign yet. Siobhán Killeen is holding her dog Billy and speaks pleasantly to Ennis for five minutes at her doorstep. “It’s a great area but there are some problems,” she says. “Litter is one, and some antisocial behaviour. We have scooters all the time.”
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Ennis identifies the big issues as cost of living, childcare and housing affordability in particular. “A lot of people are not able to live in the community that they grew up in.”
We meet Séamus at his doorway. He shows Ennis an anti-immigrant pamphlet he got from “two lads” who called around earlier. He said despite giving out about foreigners, neither could speak Irish.
Ennis peruses the literature. “The message is rotten,” he declares. “That’s all I can tell you. That’s why fighting hate is near the top of my list.”
“I haven’t quite decided which of the centre-left candidates I’m going with yet,” says Séamus.
Two kilometres away among the lovely redbrick houses of Botanic Road in Glasnevin, Fianna Fáil’s John Stephens is flying from house to house. Like Ennis, he’s a new councillor, having only been elected in 2024, but he is a veteran, another ground-up candidate rooted in his community. With grown up children, Stephens, with a broad open face and easy manner, has worked as an administrator in the Mater hospital for more than 30 years and is a grafter.
John Stephens of Fianna Fáil talks with Marguerite Norris in Drumcondra, Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan
His big issues: he wants the Help to Buy scheme threshold to be increased from €500,000 to €700,000; 24/7 hospital services, particularly in radiology and diagnostics, and has called for more GPs. Early intervention in crime prevention also forms part of his platform.
In Iona Villas, Imelda O’Reilly highlights the lack of Mild General Learning Disability classes and SNA support. In a calm, matter-of-fact way (that’s nonetheless formidable), she talks about her 15-year-old daughter – who has an intellectual disability but no behavioural issues – and the difficulties she has in getting appropriate education. “She’ll never go to college, and that’s fine, but there should be an education path for her,” she says.
Stephens says he will talk to her again “as it is a very private issue for yourself”.
“I’m not private about it at all,” replies O’Reilly without pausing. “She’s not getting the education she deserves, because it doesn’t exist and it should exist, because she is one of many.”
“If you put me into Government, you can change that,” he says.
“You are in Government,” she replies.
“I’m a councillor,” he says. “If you put me in I’ll be sitting at the table.”
Around the corner, he bumps into Marguerite Norris and her two daughters, Ellie (12) and Ada (9) O’Hora. She lives locally but is principal of the Dominican College on Griffith Avenue.
She sets out the problems and dangers associated with traffic around the 800-pupil school, many of whose students use bicycles. Stephens is on more solid ground here, setting out how the council can use video cameras to monitor traffic and come up with workable solutions.
John Stephens canvassing in Drumcondra,Dublin.
Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times.
Norris mentions that Donohoe’s presence as a TD has been missed. You would imagine it was the same for Bertie Ahern when he was in his pomp. Stephens is a big admirer of Bertie, who has been helping him out.
However, he’s a Government candidate and does not have the record or profile of those two predecessors. That makes it difficult.
“My whole energy is getting John Stephens elected,” he contends. “I want to be a listening voice and a strong representative for Dublin Central in the Dáil. I work very hard as a councillor, but in order to change things I have to be sitting at that table”
It will be an uphill struggle for him.