We are about nine months out from the 2024 Local Elections and the various political parties are beginning to get their teams in order.
Fianna Fail were first out of the traps in June as they selected their candidates in the three constituencies.
While Fine Gael have completed one third of their team with Willie Aird, Barry Walsh and Thomasina Connell chosen in Portlaoise.
Fine Gael will now hold Convention for Borris-in-Ossory-Mountmellick area on Monday, September 4, in Bloom in Mountrath.
Nominations for the candidates closed on Monday and three people have been put forward.
Sitting Councillors John King and Conor Bergin plus a newcomer – Paddy Buggy.
Most known now for his work with the Mountmellick Development Association where he is the manager, Paddy is no stranger to politics.
If he is selected to run, this will be the third time that Paddy has ran for Fine Gael.
He ran in the old Mountmellick District in 2004 and went close in the Portlaoise District in 2009.
He, Rotimi Adebari, Kathleen O’Brien and Catherine Fitzgerald battled it out for three of the final four seats with Buggy losing out to Fitzgerald on the 11th Count by 11 votes.
It is unknown how many candidates Fine Gael will decide to run in the area as a decision on that will only be made on the night of the convention.
Meanwhile, the party will also hold Convention for the Graiguecullen-Portarlington District on Tuesday, September 5, in the Heritage Hotel in Killenard.
This seems a very straightforward process as only two candidates have been nominated.
The party began this cycle with two Councillors – Tom Mulhall and Aisling Moran – but the team has changed since due to various circumstances.
Tom Mulhall stepped down in 2021 due to health reasons with PJ Kelly being co-opted to replace him. Kelly is now set to contest the election in his own right in 2023.
Cllr Moran left the Fine Gael party earlier this year and is now an independent councillor.
Stradbally’s Vivienne Phelan ran for the first time in 2019 – alongside Mulhall and Moran – where she was eliminated after the 8th Count.
SEE ALSO – Check out all of our 2024 Local Election coverage here
