FORMER Sinn Féin MP Elisha McCallion is set to seek election to Seanad Éireann.
Mrs McCallion, who also served as Foyle MLA and Mayor of Derry, will run on the Industrial and Commercial Panel for the Irish Senate.
The former Foyle MP lost her Westminster seat to the SDLP leader Colum Eastwood in last December's general election.
The Seanad is the Republic's upper house and is made up of 60 members. They are not directly elected but nominated and selected in a variety of ways, including by the taoiseach, other politicians and universities.
Ms McCallion last night said on Twitter she was “honoured” to be selected by her party to run as a candidate.
“I will be a voice for the north in the Oireachtas, increasing representation and driving our agenda of giving workers and families a break and advancing Irish unity,” she wrote.
Sinn Féin has confirmed it is to field a total of seven nominees in the upcoming contest.
Former Belfast councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile, who has sat in the Seanad since 2016, will also be hoping to return to the Seanad on the Administrative Panel.
Other nominees include former Dublin MEP Lynn Boylan who will run on the Agriculture Panel alongside councillor Gerry Murray from Mayo.
Sitting Senators Paul Gavan and Maire Devine will run on the Labour Panel while Fintan Warfield will run on the Culture and Education Panel.
Other Northern Ireland based candidates for the election include former Ulster Farmers Union President Ian Marshall who was elected as an independent in 2018. He has said he will also stand for re-election.
Others northerners expected to stand include journalist and writer Garbhán Downey who is running on the platform of establishing an independent university in the north-west and Co Down native Peter Finnegan.
Born in Banbridge, the former priest, who now lives in Celbridge, Co Kildare, is running as an Independent for Change Candidate in the NUI Panel.
Polling for the Seanad election closes on March 30 with the result expected shortly after.
