West Belfast Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Councillor Charlene O'Hara

Twinbrook woman Charlene O'Hara was co-opted onto Lisburn council in November 2007 to replace Jennifer McCann and, in the process, became the youngest councillor in Ireland at the age of only 19.

Charlene was born and raised in Twinbrook and attended St Mark's primary school and St Colm's High school.

She has just completed studying for a Bachelor of Education in P.E. at St.Marys University College on the Falls Road.

From a young age Charlene has thrown herself into many different projects.

At the age of 17, she was part of an Irish delegation of young leaders who took part in a public speaking tour of the European parliament in Strasbourg.

In 2007 she was part of a Boston College Young Political Leadership Programme that visited Washington and Boston.

In the summer of 2007, she took part in Project Zambia, which involved a group of young people from Ireland working alongside locals in a Zambian village on a number of building projects.

Charlene joined Sinn Féin at the age of 17, initially working with the party's election department.

In 2007 she was appointed to the role of secretary of the west Belfast Sinn Féin comhairle ceantair and was also vice-chair of Twinbrook Sinn Fein Cumann.

In June 2008 Charlene was nominated for the position of Lisburn mayor.

Locally, Charlene is the Chair of the Colin Drug and Alcohol Forum, working to ensure adequate service provision in the area and working with the community to tackle the drugs issue.

Charlene also works alongside a number of the youth projects within her community to enable young people to have their voices heard and make sure they feel represented.

Charlene's main interest is education and she is passionate about the need for change in the education system.