“Cllr. Wadding, a long-term socialist activist, took the final seat in the Wexford district on Sunday night after a long, two-day count. A vocal campaigner, she has made her mark through her work with the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes and was approached by PBPA on the back of that. She polled an impressive 599 votes on the first count and picked up a number of large chunks of transfers later in the day. Laughing off the description of ‘white witch’, Cllr. Wadding said that she was one of 20,000 pagans across the country but, as far as she knew, was the only one now serving as a councillor. ‘I did ask the Irish Battle Goddess Morrigan for victory today and I have a crow’s feather in my hair as a reminder of her.'”

On May 23rd, the 2014 Irish local elections were held, the first set of local elections since a major restructuring of local government was put into place earlier this year. In what seems to be a tumultuous outing , with small left-leaning parties and Sinn Féin largely benefitting, the People Before Profit Alliance gained 15 council seats across Ireland . One of those seats was won by Deirdre Wadding, on the Wexford County Council . Oh, and she just so happens to be openly Pagan, the first such candidate to be elected to office in Ireland

In a message posted to Facebook, the newly elected councillor thanked supporters, and her “Pagan brothers and sisters,” for their support.

“Thank you all friends, family, supporters, [People Before Profit Allicance] brothers and sisters, Pagan brothers and sisters, the shinners upstairs at the count for their help and kindness and generosity in sharing their number crunching skills especially Wally, to the absolutely amazing team who stood with me and walked with me and climbed ladders and knocked on doors!! We are a collective and this is a win for all of us which is why when Jim Campbell of the Echo came to take the usual pic of the candidate hoisted in the air, it suddenly just didn’t feel right and I said no! We all stand together, no one of us elevated! Sorry Jim!! It felt important! Most of all thank you from the bottom of my heart to the voters who placed their trust in me. I gave you only one promise to fight for and with you. And so it begins … OIche mhaith a chairde xxx”

Nor is Wadding’s allegiance to the Irish Pagan community superficial, as she has been a presenter at Irish Pagan events in the past, including the 2013 Goddess Gathering Ireland.

“Deirdre Wadding is a Shamanic Practitioner, trained in Celtic Shamanism, Witch, and Priestess/Hierophant of the Fellowship of Isis. Her primary magical & spiritual connection is with the Spirit and Power of the Land. Her strongest devotion is to the Morrigan, powerful transformative challenging Goddess of Ancient Ireland. Inspired by her connection with the Land, Deirdre writes songs and poetry which she performs in addition to storytelling, given half a chance and an ear to listen. It is this same respect for the Sovereignty of the Land that motivates Deirdre’s activism… her medicine drum now beaten as often to keep a chant of protest going as to facilitate the soulflight of Shamanic Journeying. Deirdre lives in rural Co. Wexford, close to the sea, with her two youngest children and adult daughter who comes and goes.”

Caroline Kenner, a Washington DC based Pagan, reached out with congratulations to her mutual Facebook friend and shamanic practitioner on behalf of Wadding’s American-based friends.

“Congratulations and best wishes to Deirdre Wadding, who has just been elected to the Wexford County Council in Ireland, the first openly Pagan member of the county council ever elected. Dierdre ran with the People Before Profit Alliance. She is a shamanic practitioner. May The Morrigan bless her term on the council: Deirdre wore a Crow’s feather in her hair during the election as a votive to Her. Your American friends send blest wishes for a great term in office. Huzzah and Hooray!”

Meanwhile, Vivianne Crowley, former interfaith coordinator of the Pagan Federation, and a professor in the Department of Pastoral Counseling at Cherry Hill Seminary, added that “many Pagans are disillusioned with governments, but if we don’t like what we see we must try to change it. Deirdre’s example is inspiring and let’s hope that in the coming years we see more Pagans in politics.”

You can follow the proud Pagan socialist’s political career at her campaign’s Facebook page, or at her official Twitter account. In the Wexford Echo piece on her candidacy and win, Wadding stressed that her win would just make her activism on the streets more effective, instead of tamed.

“My motivation isn’t that I want to be in the council. I want to affect change from the inside and the outside. I will still be getting involved in people’s problems, whether it’s a matter of civil rights, taxes and charges or anything else. That is my work and it will continue. I fully intend to be out on the street and be active. But it is a bonus that we will also have a voice on the inside.”

In many senses of the term, this is a historic moment in Irish politics, and we will be following Councillor Wadding’s career with great interest.