Aontú facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aontú
Leader	Peadar Tóibín
Deputy leader	Gemma Brolly
Founded	28 January 2019; 6 years ago (2019-01-28)
Split from	Sinn Féin
Headquarters	8 Market Square, Navan, County Meath
Youth wing	Ógra Aontú
Membership (2023)	1,300
Ideology	Irish republicanism Social conservatism
Slogan	Life Unity Economic Justice
Dáil Éireann	1 / 160
Local government in the Republic of Ireland	3 / 949
Politics of the Republic of Ireland Political parties Politics of Northern Ireland Political parties

The 'Irish Unity Centre', Aontú's head office in Navan

Aontú (pronounced "ain-too") is a political party that works across the whole island of Ireland. Its name means "Unity" in the Irish language. The party was officially started in January 2019. It is active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Aontú believes in a united Ireland and has ideas about how the economy should work. It also holds socially conservative views. Peadar Tóibín has been the leader of Aontú since it began.

Aontú's Story: How the Party Began

Aontú was founded by Peadar Tóibín. He was a TD (a member of the Irish Parliament) who left the Sinn Féin party in November 2018. Tóibín then started talking to other elected officials. Within a week, he had support from two local councillors in the Republic of Ireland.

He held meetings all over Ireland to find people who might want to join his new party. In January 2019, a local councillor in Northern Ireland joined. By the end of January 2019, eight councillors had joined Aontú.

The party's name, Aontú, was announced at a meeting in Belfast in January 2019. Peadar Tóibín explained that "Aontú" means "unity." He said a main goal of the party is to unite the Irish people, both north and south. He also mentioned that Belfast was where the United Irishmen started in 1798. Aontú aims to build an all-Ireland economy. This would help lessen the effects of Brexit. The party also wants economic fairness for everyone.

What Aontú Believes In

Aontú's leader, Peadar Tóibín, has said the party is "left of centre" when it comes to the economy. However, it is "socially conservative" on social issues. This means they often hold traditional views on topics like family and life.

The party supports "sustainable levels" of immigration into Ireland. They want a careful discussion about immigration. Aontú also has some doubts about the European Union. This is called being "Eurosceptic."

On economic issues, Aontú has left-leaning ideas. They also care about climate change. Some of their policies include:

• Working towards a United Ireland.
• Allowing people to vote on a "right to collective bargaining" for workers.
• Ending "zero hours contracts" (where workers don't have guaranteed hours).
• Spending more government money on public housing.

Aontú believes Ireland should learn from countries like those in Scandinavia. These countries are known for their strong social support systems.

Aontú members come from different political backgrounds. Some were previously members of other parties like Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, or Fianna Fáil. Aontú continues to support Irish republicanism. This includes a policy called "abstentionism." This means if an Aontú candidate is elected in Northern Ireland to the British Parliament, they would not take their seat.

Aontú in Elections

Aontú has taken part in many elections since it was founded.

Local Elections in 2019

In the 2019 Northern Ireland local elections in May 2019, Aontú had 16 candidates. They won one seat. In the Republic of Ireland's local elections in May 2019, Aontú had 53 candidates. Three of them were elected.

Irish General Election in 2020

Aontú had 25 candidates in the 2020 Irish general election. The party leader, Peadar Tóibín, was the only one who won a seat. He became a TD for Meath West.

Northern Ireland Assembly Election in 2022

In the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, Aontú had 12 candidates. None of them were elected.

Northern Ireland Local Elections in 2023

Aontú had 19 candidates in the 2023 Northern Ireland local elections. They did not win any seats. Their existing councillor in Derry City and Strabane District Council lost his seat.

Referendums in 2024

Aontú encouraged people to vote "No" in the March 2024 Irish constitutional referendums. Both referendums were strongly rejected by voters.

Who Represents Aontú?

Aontú currently has one representative at the national level. This is TD Peadar Tóibín in Dáil Éireann. They also have three county councillors in the Republic of Ireland.

Party Leader

The leader of Aontú since it started is Peadar Tóibín.

Name	Portrait	Period	Constituency
Peadar Tóibín		2019 – present	Meath West

Election Results Summary

Dáil Éireann

Northern Ireland Assembly

Westminster Elections (UK Parliament)

Local Elections

Ógra Aontú: The Youth Branch

Ógra Aontú is the youth part of the Aontú party. It was started in May 2020. Young people aged 16 to 30 who are members of Aontú can join Ógra Aontú.

See Also

• Irish republicanism
• Social conservatism
• United Ireland