A total of 47 candidates have been confirmed for this year’s Local Elections in Laois.
Election hopefuls had until Saturday at noon to declare their candidacy – and then had until 12 on Monday to withdraw if they wished.
The 47 candidates will fight it out in the June 7 elections for the 19 seats – across three Municipal Districts – on Laois County Council.
The 47 confirmed candidates on this occasion compares to 39 in 2019 and 45 in 2014, making it the highest number since the number of electoral areas was reduced from five to three following a review of Local Government.
Back in 2009, the last Local Elections when there were five areas, there were 61 candidates.
The Portlaoise Municipal District has a massive 20 candidates (compared to 16 in 2019) while there are 12 in Graiguecullen-Portarlington (nine in 2019) and 15 in Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick (14 in 2019).
There are 13 female candidates, a record high in Laois. That figure compares to 10 in 2019, eight in 2014 and 10 in 2009.
In terms of party representation, there are 12 Independent candidates, though two more are part of the new Independent Ireland party.
It is the first time in Laois that there have been more Independent candidates than any single party.
Fianna Fáil have 11 candidates on this occasion, Fine Gael have eight and Sinn Féin have seven. Labour and the Green Party have three candidates each, Independent Ireland have two and Aontú have one.
The full list of declared candidates is as follows:
Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick
- Conor Bergin (Fine Gael) *
- Paddy Bracken (Fianna Fáil) *
- Paddy Buggy (Fine Gael)
- Helen Campion (Sinn Féin)
- Ollie Clooney (Indepedent) *
- Bryan Corrigan (Labour)
- Fintan Cuddy (Fianna Fáil)
- Kevin Drennan (Independent)
- Fiona Dunne (Green Party)
- Declan Good (Fianna Fáil)
- Lorna Holohan-Garry (Sinn Féin)
- James Kelly (Independent) *
- John King (Fine Gael) *
- Seamus McDonald (Fianna Fáil) *
- Brian Phelan (Fianna Fáil)
Graiguecullen-Portarlington
- Eoin Barry (Labour)
- Ben Brennan (Independent) *
- Patsy Fennell (Independent Ireland)
- Padraig Fleming (Fianna Fáil) *
- Charlie Hackett (Green Party)
- Aaron Kelly (Sinn Féin)
- PJ Kelly (Fine Gael) *
- Joey Kennedy (Fianna Fáil)
- Paschal McEvoy (Fianna Fáil) *
- Aisling Moran (Independent) *
- Aidan Mullins (Sinn Féin) *
- Vivienne Phelan (Fine Gael)
Portlaoise
- Bolaji Adeyanju (Independent)
- Willie Aird (Fine Gael) *
- Noel Burke (Independent)
- Colette Byrne (Independent Ireland)
- Thomasina Connell (Fine Gael) *
- John Cowhig (Independent)
- Dom Dunne (Independent)
- Caroline Dwane-Stanley (Sinn Féin) *
- John Joe Fennelly (Fianna Fáil) *
- Catherine Fitzgerald (Fianna Fáil) *
- Pauline Flanagan (Independent)
- Naeem Iqbal (Fianna Fáil)
- Donal Kelly (Independent)
- Maria McCormack (Sinn Féin)
- Tommy Mulligan (Independent)
- Rosie Palmer (Green Party)
- Jason Phelan (Sinn Féin)
- Martha Ryan (Aontú)
- Marie Tuohy (Labour) *
- Barry Walsh (Fine Gael) *
*Denotes sitting councillor
Candidates by party
- Independents – 12
- Fianna Fáil – 11
- Fine Gael – 8
- Sinn Féin – 7
- Labour – 3
- Green Party – 3
- Independent Ireland – 2
SEE ALSO – Check out all our 2024 Local Election coverage here
