So congratulations to Sian Mulholland, Stormont’s newest MLA. co-opted by Alliance to replace Patricia O’Lynn in North Antrim.

Ms Mulholland has had and is having an interesting career.

Previously Sian O’Neill, she is a former caseworker for Naomi Long. She is from Crumlin and stood once for election to Antrim-Newtownabbey Council.

In 2015 she was co-opted to replace Laura McNamee for Ormiston DEA in Belfast City Council. Ms McNamee suffered abuse as a result of the “Flegs” Dispute in 2012. I think she had to leave her home.

In November 2018, Sian O’Neill married Kieran Mulholland who is a councillor in the Causeway and Glens Council….for Sinn Féin. According to the Irish News, they already had a child. There is no obligation to live in the DEA that a councillor represents, merely an obligation to be accessible. There are travel expenses. I do not know where the couple lived in 2019 when Sian O’Neill defended the Ormiston seat

The Wikipedia entry for Ms Mulholland indicates she now has two children. Maternity Leave and a second child would understandably account for an attendance record in Belfast that was often below 100%. Apologies have been recorded for some absences.

After the election of David Honeyford for Alliance in Lagan Valley last year, Ms Mulholland was co-opted for his newly vacated seat on Lisburn-Castlereagh council. The Kiluntagh DEA is bordering on her hometown of Crumlin so she would be very familiar with the area. Kiluntagh is centred on Glenavy, which is less than five kilometres from Crumlin.

But last month on the resignation of Patricia O’Lynn MLA, the vacant Stormont seat went to co-opted Sian Mulholland. The resignation of O’Lynn was announced in February and in April Ms Mulholland was reported on BelfastLive as the replacement and reported as living in Glenavy in the KIltunagh DEA/Lagan Valley constituency..

So …will Mulholland move into North Antrim or are the Alliance members, staff and more importantly the voters happy about this?