'We would do a lot of work to try and encourage young women into politics and make them realise that actually it's not all boring, not all toxic and it's actually a wee bit fun with it.'
But now Jill Macauley has seven years as a local councillor under her belt - and works to encourage more women to get involved.
"And that certainly inspired me to think, well if a lady like this can do something good and bring something very positive to politics, somebody like me maybe could some day as well.""I was actively involved with the Ulster Unionist Party in that, and I really got the bug ever since then." She and her husband Robert run a dairy farm from their home outside Rathfriland, as well as a nearby holiday let as part of a farm diversification project.
"But apart from that and catching up on homeworks and assignments and helping my children navigate through life as well, I do love to get out into the country.Get the latest politics news and analysis in your inbox Want the biggest political stories sent straight to you? "I do feel a distinct difference on the doors from people. People are very frustrated with the current climate. People want to see politicians back at their work at Stormont," she said."We have continued to deliver, continued to represent and continued to actually make this part of Northern Ireland a good place to live and work."
"I saw certainly the chance for an optimistic future. I really did see the benefit of good leaders and peacemakers of our country that actually brought us forward together," she said.
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