It's a very small step from being interested in art, particularly landscape painting, to climate action and politics. In 2003, I went to a protest meeting about the installation of an incinerator in Cork Harbour (this battle is still being fought today). I was fed up with Cork Harbour being used as a dump for every toxic industry in the Cork region. Being approached by the Green Party after I presented a paper about cultural heritage and preserving the environment at the public hearing. I ran for the Local Elections in 2004 and the General Election in 2007. I was never elected, but didn't do badly and left politics in 2009 after a punishing post-financial crisis defeat for the Green Party. I came away disillusioned with party politics.

This is how I described myself as a candidate for the 2007 General Election:

'How did I get involved in politics? What is an artist doing involved in politics?  The answer is simple - it is all about passion:  passion for people, passion for the community, passion for nature, passion for the environment, passion to be involved.  I felt that if I didn’t try to get involved and make a difference, I would have no right to complain about it as I get older.'