Laois Fine Gael Councillor Conor Bergin has announced his intention to put his name forward for the upcoming Fine Gael convention to select a candidate to contest the next General Election in Laois.
With the long-serving Charlie Flanagan announcing his retirement, it has opened the door for a new candidate to run for the party in Laois.
And the Borris-in-Ossory based Bergin, the biggest vote-getter in the recent Local Elections, formally announced his intention at a meeting of the Fine Gael Borris-Mountmellick district this evening.
“Since my re-election to Laois County Council last month, I have been overwhelmed with encouragement from constituents, and Fine Gael members, across the county to contest the selection convention for the nomination in the newly reformed Laois constituency for the next General Election for Dail Eireann,” he said.
“I feel I am a strong candidate and having discussed matters with my family, friends and supporters, I have decided to seek nomination to be the party candidate in the upcoming (Fine Gael) convention on September 5th.
“I strongly believe that we need new and young people in politics and that there is an opportunity for candidates with a fresh perspective as part of the ‘New Energy’ that Taoiseach Simon Harris has instilled in the Fine Gael party.
“Charlie Flanagan has been an excellent representative for Laois since 1987, as was his father Oliver serving before him since 1943. I have extensive experience having worked closely with Charlie for the last number of years, working for him during his term as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Justice and more recently as a County Councillor.
“I want to pay tribute to Charlie for his many years of service in Dail Eireann and strong track record of delivery for our county.
“I have had the huge privilege of serving as a member of Laois County Council representing the Borris-In-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District for the last five years, including serving as Cathaoirleach in 2021/2022.
“From my work as a County Councillor, I know that Laois needs strong and effective representation both locally and nationally.
“Since my election to Laois County Council, I have worked tirelessly to deliver for the people of my electoral area and I want the opportunity to continue this work and deliver for the entire County of Laois as a member of Dail Eireann. I want to be a strong voice for the people of Laois and deliver on the issues that affect people most.
“Supporting the farming sector, as well as a stronger focus on law and order and quality of life issues in rural Ireland such as schools, affordable housing, community facilities and roads are some of my main priorities if elected.
“I believe that there are no safe seats in politics, and we need as a party to choose a candidate who will work hard to retain our Fine Gael seat in Laois, which we cannot take for granted.
“Over the coming weeks, I will be speaking with and meeting Fine Gael members across the county seeking their support at our upcoming Selection Convention and asking for their trust and confidence in me to fight the next General Election for Fine Gael in Laois.”
Bergin was elected to Laois County Council in his first Local Elections in 2019 at the age of 25, representing the Borris-In-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District. He was re-elected to Laois County Council in the 2024 Local Elections, with the highest vote in the county, topping the poll in his area with a total of 1,606 votes.
He was educated at Roscrea Community College, University College Dublin (Honours BA degree in History & Politics and a Masters degree in Public Policy) and the Law Society of Ireland. He was actively involved in campus politics in UCD, serving as Chairperson of the UCD Young Fine Gael society.
He is currently a Trainee Solicitor, based in Portlaoise and previously worked as a Political Advisor to Charlie Flanagan TD during his tenure as Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade and Minister for Justice & Equality.
He is the first Fine Gael candidate to formally declare that he will be seeking the party nomination at their convention in early September.
It is unclear yet as to whether Fine Gael will run one or two candidates in Laois – and as of yet, there has been no declaration from any of the other Fine Gael sitting councillors as to whether they will run or not. The long-serving Willie Aird in Portlaoise and the relative newcomers like Barry Walsh in Ballyroan and Vivienne Phelan are also possible candidates, as is Thomasina Connell, despite losing her council seat in Portlaoise in June, She was Charlie Flanagan’s running mate in the 2016 General Election.
Party HQ will decide how many candidates the local members will select which would be voted on in September. However, they could still add additional candidates at a later date.
SEE ALSO – Fine Gael set to wait until September to select General Election candidate to fill Flanagan void
