Willie Aird has become the first TD from the Laois constituency to be elected at the 2024 General Election.
The Fine Gael TD was elected after the Fifth Count following the elimination of Rosie Palmer (Green Party).
It came after the Fine Gael politician topped the poll on the first count – something he has done all of the time as a local representative.
It continues his incredible record of being elected – first to Portlaoise Town Commission 45 years ago in 1979, then to Laois County Council at Local Elections in 1985, 1991, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.
At local level he has topped the poll in each of the last five Local Elections in the Portlaoise area.
Aird’s election to the Dáil means he is the first ‘born and bred’ Portlaoise TD since his grandfather William Aird in 1927. Though his predecessor Charlie Flanagan and Brian Stanley both now live in Portlaoise, they grew up in Mountmellick and Mountrath respectively. Sean Fleming lives in Castletown but is from The Swan.
Previous Laois TDs have included Oliver J Flanagan (Fine Gael, Mountmellick), John Moloney (Fianna Fáil, Mountmellick), Liam Hyland (Fianna Fáil, Ballacolla), Peader Maher (Fianna Fail, Abbeyleix), Paddy Lalor (Fianna Fail, Abbeyleix), Paddy Gorry (Fianna Fail, Kilcavan) and John Finlay (Cumann na nGaedheal/Fine Gael, Ballacolla).
Aird got 9,269 votes and was just 301 short of the quota after the First Count.
Jason Lynch (Independent) and Austin Stack (Fianna Fail) were then eliminated and their votes pushed Aird closer.
Eventually, it was the transfers from Pauline Flanagan (Independent) and Rosie Palmer (Green Party) that got Aird over the line.
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