Leitrim student elected DCU’s Student Union President after intense six-day campaign

A Leitrim woman has been elected President of Dublin City University’s Student Union following a hectic six-day campaign.

21 year old Katherine McBride from Dromahair secured 1,551 votes to win the role. Explaining her motivation to run, she said that her involvement on the Society Life Committee, a subcommittee of the Office of Student Life, made the decision feel like a “natural progression.”

Katherine studies Economics, Politics and Law and is now deeply involved in college life, though this was not always the case. “I really struggled to fit in when I first moved to Dublin,” she explained. “I didn’t want to flee the nest and go, I wanted to live in Leitrim for the rest of my life.” During her first year, she considered leaving Dublin altogether but decided to stay after encouragement from her parents. By joining clubs and societies, she gradually built friendships and went on to spend her summers working in the city. “I really fell in love with the place. I never moved home,” she said.

Accommodation is the main issue Katherine believes is affecting DCU students, and one she intends to prioritise during her term. “It’s been 23 years since student accommodation has been built on DCU campus. There’s over 20,000 students now and the competition is insane,” she explained, noting that on-campus accommodation operates on a lottery system. She also highlighted the rising cost of student life more broadly, pointing to increasing accommodation and parking costs year on year.

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“Everything is getting more expensive and student living isn’t getting any easier. Affordability is a big thing. It’s creating barriers for entry to lower income students and that’s not fair. Something has to give,” Katherine said.

While much of the SU President’s role involves meetings and advocating for students’ positions on issues such as funding allocations, Katherine hopes to take a more visible and active approach. “I want to be less of a boardroom president and more of a boots on the ground president. I think there needs to be more protesting,” she said, adding that the art of protest has diminished. “It’s such a big deal, especially as students, to protest for the change you want to see.”

Describing the campaign as “the hardest week of my life,” Katherine said the pressure of a six-day race was eased by the support of her campaign team. Initially running against six candidates, the contest eventually narrowed to a “three horse race.”

From nearly dropping out and returning to Leitrim to remaining in Dublin full-time and becoming SU President, Katherine’s journey reflects the experience of many students. Her early feelings of isolation, combined with ongoing concerns around affordability, are challenges widely shared across the student body.

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“The same issues affect everyone, it’s all about getting to college and affording to stay there,” she concluded.