Ken Smollen


Ken Smollen is an Irish politician who is Chairman of the Irish Democratic Party. He is one of the founding members of the party. Smollen currently sits on Offaly County Council, having been elected for the Tullamore electoral area in 2019.
From Tullamore, Smollen resides in Clara, County Offaly. He is a former sergeant in the Garda Síochána. He served for more than three decades. Each month, the Ken Smollen Food Appeal gives food packages to more than 400 families.
Smollen ran as a candidate for the Irish Democratic Party in the newly formed Offaly constituency at the 2016 Irish general election.
At the 2019 Offaly County Council election, he ran in the Tullamore electoral area and won a seat.
He was a candidate for the Irish Democratic Party in the reformed Laois–Offaly constituency at the 2020 Irish general election, gaining 3.76% of first preference votes, and was eliminated on the sixth count.