
Aontú (; "Unity") is a
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
Irish republican political party active in both the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
and
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
.
It has been led by
Peadar Tóibín since its foundation in January 2019.
The party holds
socially conservative positions, with a significant policy being
opposition to abortion,
and is left-wing on economic issues.
Some political observers have variously characterised Aontú as
centre-left
Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commo ...
,
right-wing
Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
,
or
populist.
History
The party was founded by Peadar Tóibín, a
TD who resigned from
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
on 15 November 2018 due to his anti-abortion views after opposing the
party whip on the
Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018.
Tóibín began canvassing elected representatives, securing support within a week from two
local councillors in the Republic. Tóibín held meetings across the island addressing interested potential members. The first
Northern Ireland local councillor declared on 7 January 2019. eight councillors had joined. A second councillor in Northern Ireland joined on 26 February 2019.
The name "Aontú" was announced at a meeting in
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
on 28 January 2019.
The ''
Meath Chronicle'' said that the announcement of the name was precipitated by its unexpected publication on the
UK Electoral Commission website.
Tóibín said the party had sought registration in both jurisdictions, that "Aontú obviously means unity and our major objective is
the unity of Irish people north and south".
He recalled that Belfast was the birthplace of the
United Irishmen of 1798. Aontú would "seek to build an all-Ireland economy to mitigate the worst effects of
Brexit
Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU).
Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...
, economic justice for all and to protect the
right to life
The right to life is the belief that a human (or other animal) has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another entity. The concept of a right to life arises in debates on issues including: capital punishment, with some ...
".
Tóibín said he was talking with Sinn Féin,
SDLP, and
independent representatives in Northern Ireland, and that "people from Sinn Féin, SDLP and
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland.
Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
backgrounds would feel comfortable" in the party.
Following its foundation in January of that year, Aontú contested the
Northern Ireland local elections in May 2019. The party, which nominated 16 candidates, won one seat on
Derry and Strabane Council, with its two outgoing councillors losing their seats. Several months after the election, a councillor for the SDLP in Mid Ulster joined Aontú. Later in May 2019, the party put forward 53 candidates in the
2019 local elections in the Republic Ireland, including its seven sitting councillors. Three were elected. Of the four Dáil by-elections held in November 2019, Aontú contested two. Finian Toomey came 7th in the
2019 Cork North-Central by-election with 1,008 votes (3.9%), and Jim Codd came 6th in the
2019 Wexford by-election with 2,102 votes (5.2%). Aontú contested seven seats in the
2019 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland. The party, which received 9,814 votes (1.2%), won none of these seats.
Aontú fielded 25 candidates in the
2020 Irish general election, including leader Peadar Tóibín (Meath West), deputy leader Anne McCloskey (Sligo-Leitrim) and a number of sitting local councillors. Tóibín was the only successful candidate. As Tóibín was not invited to participate in a televised debate alongside the leaders of other parties, the party threatened a
High Court action against
RTÉ
(; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
. The party, however, did not proceed with the action noting that there "was not enough time to have the action heard" before the debate. In the
2020 Seanad election, Paul Lawless contested the
Cultural and Educational Panel
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, attitudes, and habits of the individuals in these gr ...
receiving 2.6% of votes.
In September 2020, Aontú's then deputy leader Anne McCloskey came under criticism for her comments about the effectiveness of masks during the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic, with party leader
Peadar Tóibín defending her right to her view on the topic. McCloskey stepped down as a councillor in October 2020, and was replaced by party member Emmet Doyle. She was replaced as deputy leader by Denise Mullen. At the 2022 Ard Fheis, Mullen stepped down from the position of deputy leader and was replaced by Gemma Brolly, Aontú candidate for
East Londonderry at the
May 2022 Assembly election.
In November 2020, the
Standards in Public Office Commission
The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) () is an independent body established in December 2001 by the Government of Ireland, Irish Government under the Standards in Public Office Act 2001. It replaced the Public Offices Commission which h ...
announced that Aontú were one of five political parties who failed to provide them with a set of audited accounts for 2019, in breach of statutory obligations. In response, Aontú released a statement claiming that they had submitted the account statements and apologising for the delay, citing the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
Mairéad Tóibín unsuccessfully contested the
2021 Dublin Bay South by-election, coming ninth with 740 first preference votes (2.8%).
Aontú fielded 12 candidates in the
2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election.
None of its candidates were elected, with the party coming in eighth place with 12,777 first preference votes (1.5%). The party also contested the
2023 Northern Ireland local elections. None of Aontú's 19 candidates were elected, with their incumbent councillor in
Derry City and Strabane District Council losing his seat.
In 2024, the party campaigned for No votes in the
2024 Irish constitutional referendums; Both referendums were overwhelmingly defeated. Aontú later ran 66 candidates in the
2024 Irish local elections, securing eight council seats. It also fielded candidates in three constituencies for the
2024 European Parliament elections: Peadar Tóibín in Midlands North West, Patrick Murphy in Ireland South and Aisling Considine in Dublin. None were elected. Sarah Beasley also ran, unsuccessfully, as the Aontú candidate in the
2024 Limerick mayoral election. In the
2024 Westminster election in Northern Ireland, Aontú stood in 10 of 18 constituencies, winning no seats from 7,466 votes (1.0% of the total). Aontú won a second seat in the Dáil in the
2024 general election with
Paul Lawless elected as a TD for
Mayo.
On 8 December, both Aontú TDs joined a
technical group 'Regional Group' formed by eight independent TDs -
Seán Canney,
Marian Harkin,
Barry Heneghan,
Noel Grealish,
Michael Lowry,
Kevin "Boxer" Moran,
Verona Murphy and
Gillian Toole; after Aontú's entrance, the group had 10 TDs in total. The group intended to address regional infrastructure issues such as railway lines, as well as accelerating housing construction.
In January 2025, Aontú left the Regional Group and instead joined a technical group in the Dáil with the political party
Independent Ireland.
Ideology and positions
Party founder and leader Peadar Tóibín has described Aontú as left of centre economically while "
socially conservative".
In 2019, the party was described by the unionist ''
Belfast News Letter'' as "
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
conservative",
and by ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' as "socially conservative",
while
Harry McGee described its ideology as "rural conservatism and
traditionalism". In 2020,
David Quinn of ''
The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'' called Aontú "a pro-life centre-left party".
In 2024, ''
Politico
''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American political digital newspaper company founded by American banker and media executive Robert Allbritton in 2007. It covers politics and policy in the Unit ...
'' and ''
The Connaught Telegraph'' described Aontú as "right wing",
and ''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' said it had "positions that lean both left and right".
The European Center for Populism Studies described it as populist and "on the right",
while Eoin O'Malley, a political science professor at
Dublin City University
Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) () is a Third-level education in the Republic of Ireland, university based on the Northside, Dublin, Northside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Highe ...
, concurs that Aontú is populist and socially right wing, although he views their economics as left-wing.
The
Irish Independent
The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray backgrou ...
described the party as "economically left-wing, but socially conservative",
while political scientist Corinne Deloy wrote that Aontú is "economically positioned on the left of the political spectrum but on the right when it comes to social issues".
Political researchers Gilles Ivaldi and Emilia Zankina wrote that the party is left-wing populist, and rivals with
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
.
The party draws support from right-wing voters.
Social policies and civil rights
The party condemns "
culture wars" and argues that they serve to distract from the issues of Irish unity and economic justice.
In 2023, Peadar Tóibín expressed opposition to sexually explicit material being taught to children in schools.
Aontú opposed a 2024 proposed expansion of
hate speech
Hate speech is a term with varied meaning and has no single, consistent definition. It is defined by the ''Cambridge Dictionary'' as "public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as ...
laws on the grounds that it amounted to
censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...
.
The party has supported a proposed enquiry into the Irish government's handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
In 2024, Tóibín opposed the possible extension of free
contraception to girls aged 16 and described it as the State "giving licence to underage sexual activity" and said
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly was "
virtue signalling".
At the party's 2025
Ard Fheis
or ( , ; 'high assembly'; plural ) is the name used by many Irish political parties for their annual party conference.
Usage
Among the parties who use the term or are:
*
*
*
* Irish Republican Socialist Party
*
* Green Party
* Republica ...
, members voted in favour of "an audit of all
DEI policies", the ending of "
unconscious bias training" in the
Defence Forces, and for an end to media "
misinformation
Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. Misinformation and disinformation are not interchangeable terms: misinformation can exist with or without specific malicious intent, whereas disinformation is distinct in that the information ...
" based on off-the-record political briefings. Members also voted in favour of asking the Government to put any future laws on "
freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...
" to a referendum.
Abortion
Aontú is
anti-abortion
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its Abortion by country, legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in r ...
, a stance which Tóibín has described as a "core value" of the party.
LGBT+ rights
In 2023, Tóibín introduced a bill in the
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...
to prevent
transgender female prisoners from being placed into women's prisons,
and in their 2024 manifesto the party called for the repeal of the Gender Recognition Act for the same reason. In 2024,
Meath County Councillor Emer Tóibín proposed a motion calling on the
LGFA to reverse its transgender policy which allows transgender women and girls to play
ladies' Gaelic football.
Religion
At its 2025 Ard Fheis, members voted for a ban on "the introduction of
Sharia law
Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, inta ...
" or "community courts of any religion".
Immigration and asylum policy
The party advocates for an immigration policy that is "stricter" and "sustainable", while also containing "compassion and common sense".
Tóibín stated that Ireland has a moral obligation to offer sanctuary to immigrants who flee war, famine or violence, but also argued that there should be no "orthodoxy and uniformity" on the issue.
In 2021, deputy leader Denise Mullen called for Ireland to offer help during the
Afghan refugee crisis. Tóibín supports an "
Irish Sea border in terms of people", where asylum seekers who arrive in Northern Ireland would be subject to the same
passport controls as at Irish airports and ports.
Aontú has called for a greater level of public consultation on immigration.
The party opposed the 2024
EU Asylum and Migration Pact,
arguing that it would "erode the ability of domestic governments to manage their immigration systems and adapt to any changes in migration". Aontú also calls for stronger border protection and security, stating that border agencies are understaffed.
''
The Phoenix'' has described Tóibín and Aontú as possessing a "strong rightward stance" on immigration
while Gerald Howlin of the ''
Irish Examiner
The ''Irish Examiner'', formerly ''The Cork Examiner'' and then ''The Examiner'', is an Republic of Ireland, Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork (city), Cork, though it is ...
'' has described Tóibín's views on immigration as "
nativist".
Gilles Ivaldi and Emilia Zankina argue that the party's views on immigration make it a more conservative left-wing populist competitor with Sinn Féin.
At its 2025 Ard Fheis, Aontú members backed a motion calling for an "outright ban" on anyone who "purposely destroyed their travel documents" entering the State.
European policy
Aontú is broadly
Eurosceptic, opposing
European federalism and a
European army.
It also speaks against
EU enlargement and criticizes the EU for being too centralized; Aontú wishes to "devolve foreign policy back to the nations states".
Foreign policy and defence
The party supports
Irish neutrality and opposes proposals by the
Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
to remove the requirement of a
UN mandate before more than 12 members of the
Defence Forces can be deployed abroad. The party opposes a
European Defence Union or any moves towards a
military alliance
A military alliance is a formal Alliance, agreement between nations that specifies mutual obligations regarding national security. In the event a nation is attacked, members of the alliance are often obligated to come to their defense regardless ...
.
Israel and Palestine
The party supports a
two-state solution in the
Israeli-Palestine conflict.
The party takes a pro-Palestine stance, pledging to ban trade with the settlements of Israel, impose economic and military sanctions on Israel, and expelling the Israeli ambassador from Ireland. It also proposes conducting an ethics audit to ensure that Irish public institutions do not cooperate nor fund Israel.
Economics
The party holds left-wing views on economics and climate change.
According to Eoin O'Malley, the party shares the economic positions of Sinn Féin, and places focus on economic justice.
Aontú also strongly supports economic welfare. As of early 2020, the party's published policies included proposals for a
united Ireland
United Ireland (), also referred to as Irish reunification or a ''New Ireland'', is the proposition that all of Ireland should be a single sovereign state. At present, the island is divided politically: the sovereign state of Ireland (legally ...
, a referendum on a "right to
collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and labour rights, rights for ...
and trade union membership",
an end to
zero hours contracts,
and increased state spending on public housing. Aontú also proposes reforming the Irish healthcare system into a state-paid one, where the state will cover the operations, treatments and consultations received by Irish patients.
Their site states Ireland should model itself on the "
best practice in Scandinavian countries".
Tóibín stressed the importance of economic issues, stating that one "cannot be a left-wing political party and allow for your communities to slide into poverty and sit by idly by".
In their 2021 budget submission, the party called on changes to the state pension scheme, reducing Leap Card fares and increasing the Banking Levy. Aontú supports the building of a "new international city" in a different part of the country from
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
.
The party also adheres to
protectionism
Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations ...
and opposes trade deals such as the
EU–Mercosur Association Agreement. It also offers to address housing shortage by taking the power to build social homes to public service, limiting the power of corporations in the housing industry and cracking down on "vulture funds". Aontú also proposes linking pensions to the rate of inflation, and extending tax credit increases for workers to pensioners as well. It advocates a reformed social insurance model that would ensure a right to decent income during retirement and prevent workers from losing pension rights because of changing market conditions. The party also proposes reinstating the occupational supplementary pension for workers such as the
Defence Forces members.
Irish republicanism
While Aontú was founded in a split from
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
, Aontú members and elected representatives come from different political backgrounds: two councillors were former members of the
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP; ) is a social democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland Assembly ( MLAs) and two members of Parliament (M ...
, one councillor was a former member of
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland.
Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
, and two other councillors never held political office prior to joining Aontú. The party retains the ideology of
Irish republicanism
Irish republicanism () is the political movement for an Irish Republic, Irish republic, void of any British rule in Ireland, British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously ...
, and related policies; for example, Aontú maintains a policy of
abstentionism, which means that while it runs candidates in Northern Ireland in British general elections, should an Aontú candidate be elected, they would not take up their seat in the British parliament.
''
The Irish Catholic'' editor Michael Kelly believed the party could "capitalise" on the "abandon
ent fmany of the values that were key to a largely Catholic electorate in the North" by "the traditional parties of
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...
".
Representatives
The party has three representatives, TDs
Peadar Tóibín and
Paul Lawless (in
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...
) and
Sarah O'Reilly (in
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann ( ; ; "Senate of Ireland") is the senate of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (defined as the house of representatives).
It is commonly called the Seanad or ...
), at national level.
As of June 2024, Aontú has eight sitting representatives at local level, all of whom are
county councillors in the Republic of Ireland.
Leadership
Party leader
The following are the terms of office as party leader.
Election results
Dáil Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Northern Ireland Assembly
Westminster elections
Local elections
European Parliament
Ógra Aontú
Aontú's youth branch, Ógra Aontú, was formed in May 2020. Membership of the branch is open to Aontú members aged between 16 and 30. As of April 2024, John Bryan was leading the party's youth wing.
Footnotes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2019 establishments in Ireland
All-Ireland political parties
Conservative parties in Ireland
Conservative parties in the United Kingdom
Eurosceptic parties in Ireland
Irish republican parties
Political parties established in 2019
Political parties in Northern Ireland
Political parties in the Republic of Ireland
Sinn Féin breakaway groups
Social conservative parties
Transnational political parties
Anti-abortion organisations in the Republic of Ireland
Anti-abortion organisations in the United Kingdom
Organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights in Ireland
Organizations that oppose transgender rights