From life coaching to painting lighthouses… what are former TDs doing after a life in politics? The 24/7 grind of a politician is not for the faint-hearted as the likes of Simon Coveney and Catherine Martin will tell you. Former TDs who stood down or lost their Dáil seat at the last general election say why they haven’t looked backFormer sport and culture minister Catherine Martin and her husband on life after politicsKim Bielenberg Today at 06:30Many politicians have spent years trying to achieve their ultimate aim of a seat in the Dáil. But at the last general election in November 2024, over 50 TDs either quit politics or were rejected by the electorate and lost their seats. So how have they picked their lives up after the frenetic 24/7 routine of a backbench TD or minister – when suddenly they don’t receive phone calls at all hours of the day and night, and the chorus of social media abuse falls silent?

Source: Irish Independent February 28, 2026 20:33 UTC