Fine Gael are set to select their candidates to run for the party in the Portlaoise area in next year’s Local Elections.
The party currently has three sitting Councillors in the area and all three are set to be nominated to run again this evening.
The convention takes places in the Killeshin Hotel at 7.30pm this evening.
Currently, Barry Walsh, Thomasina Connell and Willie Aird are sitting Councillors for the party.
And it is understood that they are the only candidates nominated for the convention tonight.
Willie Aird has served as a local councillor since 1979 when he was elected at the age of 18 to Portlaoise Town Commission.
He won a seat to Laois County Council in 1985 and has been there ever since.
Thomasina Connell, who ran in the General Election in 2016 and recently finished as Cathaoirleach, won a seat for the first time in 2019 and will go again.
The third seat in the area that Fine Gael won in 2019 went to Mary Sweeney who has since retired. That was taken by Ballyroan native Barry Walsh and he will stand for election for the first time.
The convention tonight will be chaired by Fine Gael Senator of Tipperary.
Unlike Fianna Fail who select all of their candidates at once, Fine Gael run a convention for each area.
It is understood that the Borris-In-Ossory/Mountmellick area will be up next in October.
With the Graiguecullen-Portarlington area to be decided at a later date.
The 2024 Local Elections are set to take place June of next year on the same day as the European Elections.
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