Grandson of Mayo natives on course to win Canadian election
The grandson of Aghagower natives looks poised to become Canada's next Prime Minister.
Mark Carney’s Liberal Party is on track to secure the largest number of seats in the Canadian Parliament following a fiercely contested federal election that centred on the country’s turbulent relationship with the United States under president Donald Trump.
While it remains uncertain whether the Liberals will hold an outright majority, they are expected to form the next government.
The victory marks a historic moment for Mr. Carney, a former governor of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, who ran a campaign steeped in patriotic fervour.
He struck a firm tone in standing up to Trump-era policies, notably targeting US-imposed tariffs and deflecting inflammatory claims that Canada was becoming America's “51st state.”
Mr. Carney, who holds Irish, British, and Canadian citizenship, has long celebrated his roots in Mayo. Three of his four grandparents were born in the county, including his grandfather Robert Carney and grandmother Norah Moran, who came from the small rural townland of Aille, just 10km from Westport.
His ancestral links are so strong that he once kept a map of Mayo in his office while serving at the Bank of England.
Despite this deep connection, Mr. Carney has yet to visit the family homestead in Aille. However, locals in the area are hopeful that will soon change.
John Scott, owner of Scott’s Pub in Aghagower, said when Carney was elected as leader of the Liberal Party, “This is a really special day for us. His forefathers came from a townland called Aille. He has relations here who still run Carney’s Quarry.”
As Mr. Carney prepares for office, he has pledged to renounce his Irish and British citizenships a symbolic gesture of commitment to his role leading Canada at a time of intense national pride amidst struggles with the US.
Still, in the quiet corners of Mayo, his win will be celebrated as another victory for the county and its diaspora.