Roisin Mulgrew, former chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down Council and ex-Sinn Féin councillor, has joined Aontú. She plans to contest the upcoming local elections in the North under the party's banner.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín confirmed her membership. He described her as a dedicated community activist with nine years of service on the council.

Mulgrew focused on health and regeneration during her tenure. She campaigned for services at Daisy Hill Hospital. She chaired the council's Enterprise, Regeneration and Tourism Committee.

On that committee, she supported Newry City Centre Regeneration and Newry Canal redevelopment. She oversaw rural development programmes that provided infrastructure and aid to local groups.

In her last election, Mulgrew received 1,659 first-preference votes, over 14 percent of the total, and won on the first count.

She had announced in 2022 that she would not stand again for Sinn Féin in the 2023 local elections. Tóibín called her a principled alternative for voters.