Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns announces pregnancy

The leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns has announced her pregnancy.

In a post on Instagram on Saturday, the Cork South West TD said that she and her partner Barry Looney are expecting a baby girl.

She said that the news had “been getting harder and harder to keep under wraps (quite literally)”.

“I am overjoyed to let you know that my partner and I are expecting a baby. We are so happy and feel so lucky because this is something we have wanted for a long time,” she wrote.

Ms Cairns (34) said while she was delighted to share the news, she was initially hesitant, “because like so many other couples hoping to start a family, ours has not been a straightforward journey”.

“But all the signs look good this pregnancy, so we are really hopeful. I’m definitely not the first woman to juggle work and a baby, but I also know that I have a very unique job as a leader of a political party.

“That’s why more than ever, I feel very grateful to belong to a party who are so supportive of parents and passionate about making sure we get #MoreMna into politics.”

She added that she felt “very lucky” have a “great team” around her.

“This along with the amazing results from last weekend, makes me more excited than ever to lead the Social Democrats into the next elections.”

Ms Cairns is the youngest party leader in the Dáil. The native of west Cork worked in disability services abroad before moving back to Cork to take on her family farm and business.

She stood in the 2019 local elections in Cork and won a seat on Cork County Council. The following year she was elected as a TD. Ms Cairns took over the leadership of the Social Democrats in March of last year.

During her time in the Dáil, Ms Cairns has acted as party spokesperson for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Further and Higher Education and Disability.

Her partner Barry Looney is a hotelier from west Cork. His family owns the West Cork Hotel in Skibbereen.

The Social Democrats almost doubled their local authority representation last weekend, going from 19 to 35 seats in the local elections.

The party failed to have an MEP elected in the European elections. However, Ms Cairns said that she “could not be prouder of the exceptional campaigns” run by Rory Hearne, Susan Doyle and Sinead Gibney in Midlands North West, Ireland South and Dublin respectively.