The Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District is a massive, sprawling, area that stretches from Clonaslee on one side to Cullohill on the other.
Mountmellick is the largest town in the area though Mountrath and Rathdowney have considerable populations also.
As well as that it takes in the likes of Rosenallis, Ballyfin, Camross, Castletown, Borris-in-Ossory, Errill, Clough, Ballacolla and Durrow.
There six council seats in the area, with a current breakdown of two Fianna Fáil councillors (Paddy Bracken in Mountmellick and Seamus McDonald in Rosenallis), two Fine Gael (Conor Bergin in Borris-in-Ossory and John King in Rathdowney) as well as two independents (James Kelly in Mountrath and Ollie Clooney in Durrow).
All six are running again and are joined by nine more on the ballot paper: Paddy Buggy (Fine Gael), Helen Campion (Sinn Féin), Bryan Corrigan (Labour), Fintan Cuddy (Fianna Fáil), Kevin Drennan (Independent), Fiona Dunne (Green Party), Lorna Holohan-Garry (Sinn Féin) and Brian Phelan (Fianna Fáil).
Ten of the 16 candidates in this area agreed to be interviewed by LaoisToday as part of our 10-minute Local Election podcast series.
Candidates could avail of an in-person interview in the LaoisToday office in the Portlaoise Enterprise Centre – or to conduct their interview online over Zoom.
All candidates were asked to address the same three items: their background, what they’d like to see done in the next five years of Laois County Council and why someone should vote for them.
Under the brief profile of the candidates below, you can click through to listen to their episode in full.
Conor Bergin (Fine Gael)
At 25, Fine Gael’s Conor Bergin was one of the youngest elected councillors in the country in 2019.
From Borris-in-Ossory, he is looking for a second term in Laois County Council and chats, among other things, about his experiences to date, his year as Cathaoirleach and his General Election ambitions.
Paddy Buggy (Fine Gael)
Paddy Buggy is hoping it’s a case of third time lucky in this year’s Local Elections as runs as a Fine Gael candidate in the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.
He first ran in 2004 and then again in 2009, when he narrowly missed out in the old Portlaoise area after a marathon count. He chats his interest in politics from a young age, his role as the MDA manager in Mountmellick and how he balances it all with being a part-time farmer.
Helen Campion (Sinn Féin)
Helen Campion from Rathdowney is seeking to win a seat on Laois County Council in the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.
A first time candidate, she chats about her background, why she has put her name forward and some of the changes she would like to see come about over the next couple of years.
Bryan Corrigan (Labour) – Listen here
There was no Labour candidate in the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District in 2019 – so in Bryan Corrigan, the party are represented once again on this occasion on the ballot sheet.
Bryan gives his background as well as spelling out three key projects across the area that he would like to see prioritised across the next five years of Laois County Council.
Fintan Cuddy (Fianna Fáil)
Based in Castletown, Fintan Cuddy is running as Fianna Fáil candidate in the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.
He chats about his tough upbringing and how events early in his life helped to shape him to be the person he is today. Roads and housing are the two key issues he touches on in a wide-ranging discussion.
Kevin Drennan (Independent)
From the Camross/Coolrain area, Kevin Drennan is running as an Independent in this year’s Local Elections in the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.
Hugely passionate about farming and the challenges the industry faces, he also speaks about the issues concerning rural Ireland, particularly his own base around Camross and Coolrain.
Fiona Dunne (Green Party)
The Green Party are running three candidates in this year’s Local Elections in Laois – and Fiona Dunne is the representative in the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.
She works with parliamentary team for Minister Pippa Hackett as well as being a part-time teacher and a heritage specialist. She is currently the chairperson of the Abbeyleix Bog Project and a member of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns.
Lorna Holohan-Garry (Sinn Féin) – Listen here
At the second time of asking, Lorna Holohan-Garry is hoping to win a seat on Laois County Council in the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.
She was a first time candidate in 2019 when she polled respectably but missed out. From Mountmellick and living in Clonaslee, she talks about how her interest in politics – and Sinn Féin in particular – began as well as some of the primary issues she sees in society at present.
John King from Rathdowney has been a Fine Gael councillor since 2009 when he was elected at the third time of asking having missed out in 1999 and 2004.
Born and raised in Errill, he moved to Rathdowney when he started working and he discusses his varied career – as a butcher, school caretaker, and fireman while he also farms. He chats about some of the work he is proud of over his 15 years as a councillor and what he’d like to get done if he’s re-elected.
James Kelly (Independent)
James Kelly has been a Laois County Councillor since 2014 when he claimed the first seat in the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.
Re-elected in 2019, he is now seeking a third term on Laois County Council. He chats about his family history of local representation, his experience in the role and what work he’d like to see done across the next five years.
Brian Phelan (Fianna Fáil)
Brian Phelan is a first-time candidate from Rathdowney, running for Fianna Fáil in the Borris-in-Ossory Municipal District.
An auctioneer, he discusses the challenges and opportunities facing a town like Rathdowney, the concerns for parents of young families and his political lineage, where his father Brendan, uncle Kieran and grandfather Pat were all elected representatives.
The following candidates opted not to take part or did not respond to the LaoisToday invitation to be featured: Paddy Bracken (Fianna Fáil), Ollie Clooney (Independent), Declan Good (Fianna Fáil), Seamus McDonald (Fianna Fáil).
SEE ALSO – Check out all our 2024 Local Election coverage here
