EDITORIAL: Tipperary needs more active younger voters this General Election

I am 29-years-old, I’ll be 30 next week and as a relatively younger voter in Tipperary it feels like I’m in the minority compared to the voting stalwarts of older generations.

I attended the public forum in Roscrea this week, where many of our Tipperary North candidates took to the stage to try and convince the people of Roscrea to give them their number one vote.

When I looked around the room, the average age was easily 15 years older than me. I would estimate I was one of the ten youngest in the hall full of at least 80 people.

Although on social media, it may seem like my generation are the ones influencing the narrative of the country, they don’t appear to be the ones showing up to hear what our potential public representatives have to say and they don’t seem to be the ones casting the votes that determine who our champions are.

My friends and colleagues my age are leaving the country in droves in search of better opportunities and have been doing so for years now. It’s rare that anyone I know is able to rent a house for themselves, let alone afford to buy one and many think that a future here in Ireland is one that comes with great uncertainty and stress.

We are lucky here in Tipperary North, we have a wide range of candidates to choose from, many of whom understand and empathise with what we’re faced with, but convincing the younger generations to register to vote and get out their and make the change they want to see happen is a considerable challenge.

My generation is so well informed as to the goings on of the world through TikTok, Instagram, X and conversations overheard in pubs but when it comes to actually voting and making our opinions count, older generations are far better and more consistent at getting the job done.

I would encourage voters of every age to read up on all 14 of our local candidates in Tipperary North, figure out who aligns with your values most and have your voice heard. You are the only person that can bring about the change you want to see.