Kildare County Council

Comhairle Contae Chill Dara
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Daragh Fitzpatrick, FF
Structure
Seats40
Political groups
  •   Fianna Fáil (12)
  •   Fine Gael (11)
  •   Labour Party (5)
  •   Social Democrats (4)
  •   Green Party (3)
  •   Sinn Féin (1)
  •   Independent (4)
Elections
Last election
24 May 2019
Motto
Meanma agus Misneach (Irish)
"Spirit and Courage"
Meeting place
Áras Chill Dara, Naas
Website
kildarecoco.ie
The area governed by the council
Crest of Kildare County Council photographed alongside the Royal Canal in Maynooth. The County Motto, Meanma agus Misneach (Spirit and Courage), is seen on the crest.

Kildare County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Chill Dara) is the authority responsible for local government in County Kildare, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 40 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a Chief Executive, Sonya Kavanagh. The county town is Naas.

History

The County Council was formed in 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. It was originally based at Naas Courthouse but, after a major fire in the courthouse, moved to the former St Mary's Fever Hospital in the late 1950s.[1] By late 1990s, the old hospital buildings were in poor condition, and the county council identified the former Devoy Barracks site as its preferred location for new facilities.[2] It moved to Áras Chill Dara on the site of the old barracks site in 2006.[2]

Regional Assembly

Kildare County Council has three representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Eastern Strategic Planning Area Committee.[3]

Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts

Kildare County Council is divided into the following municipal districts and local electoral areas, defined by electoral divisions.[4]

Municipal District LEA Definition Seats
Athy Athy East Urban, Athy Rural, Athy West Urban, Ballaghmoon, Ballitore, Ballybrackan, Ballyshannon, Belan, Bert, Burtown, Carrigeen, Castledermot, Churchtown, Dunmanoge, Fontstown, Graney, Grangemellon, Harristown, Inchaquire, Johnstown, Kilberry, Kilkea, Kilrush, Moone, Narraghmore, Nurney, Skerries and Usk. 5
Celbridge–Leixlip Celbridge Donaghcumper; and those parts of the electoral division of Celbridge not contained in the local electoral area of Leixlip. 4
Leixlip Leixlip; and those parts of the electoral division of Celbridge to the north of a line drawn along the M4 motorway. 3
Clane–Maynooth Clane Ballynadrumny, Cadamstown, Carbury, Carrick, Clane, Donore, Downings, Drehid, Dunfierth, Kilmeage North, Kilmeage South, Kilpatrick, Kilrainy, Lullymore, Robertstown, Timahoe North, Timahoe South and Windmill Cross. 5
Maynooth Balraheen, Cloncurry (in the former Rural District of Celbridge No. 1), Donadea, Kilcock, Maynooth, and Straffan. 5
Kildare–Newbridge Kildare Ballysax East, Ballysax West, Cloncurry (in the former Rural District of Edenderry No. 2), Dunmurry, Feighcullen, Kildangan, Kildare, Killinthomas, Lackagh, Monasterevin, Pollardstown, Quinsborough, Rathangan, Rathernan and Thomastown. 5
Newbridge Carnalway, Carragh, Droichead Nua Rural, Droichead Nua Urban, Gilltown, Kilcullen, Ladytown, Morristownbiller and Oldconnell. 5
Naas Ballymore Eustace, Bodenstown, Kill, Killashee, Kilteel, Naas Rural, Naas Urban, Newtown, Oughterard and Rathmore. 7

Councillors

The following were elected at the 2019 Kildare County Council election, under the boundaries which existed at the time. [5]

Party Seats
Fianna Fáil 12
Fine Gael 11
Labour 5
Social Democrats 4
Green 3
Sinn Féin 1
Independent 4

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 24 May 2019.[6]

Council members from 2019 election
Local electoral area Name Party
Athy Mark Wall[a] Labour
Aoife Breslin Labour
Ivan Keatley Fine Gael
Brian Dooley Fianna Fáil
Veralouise Behan Fianna Fáil
Celbridge Michael Coleman Fianna Fáil
Íde Cussen Independent
Vanessa Liston Green
Ciara Galvin Labour
Clane Brendan Weld Fine Gael
Daragh Fitzpatrick Fianna Fáil
Pádraig McEvoy Independent
Aidan Farrelly Social Democrats
Brendan Wyse Fine Gael
Kildare Suzanne Doyle Fianna Fáil
Anne Connolly Fianna Fáil
Kevin Duffy Fine Gael
Mark Stafford Fine Gael
Patricia Ryan[a] Sinn Féin
Leixlip Joe Neville Fine Gael
Bernard Caldwell Fianna Fáil
Nuala Killeen Social Democrats
Maynooth Naoise Ó Cearúil Fianna Fáil
Paul Ward Fianna Fáil
Angela Feeney Labour
Tim Durkan Fine Gael
Peter Hamilton Green
Naas Vincent P. Martin[a] Green
Evie Sammon Fine Gael
Fintan Brett Fine Gael
Seamie Moore Independent
Carmel Kelly Fianna Fáil
Bill Clear Social Democrats
Anne Breen Labour
Newbridge Fiona McLoughlin Healy Independent
Peggy O’Dwyer Fine Gael
Robert Power Fianna Fáil
Tracey O’Dwyer Fine Gael
Noel Heaney Fianna Fáil
Chris Pender Social Democrats
Notes
  1. ^ a b c Replaced during term, see table below for details.

Co-options

Party Outgoing Electoral area Reason Date Co-optee
Sinn Féin Patricia Ryan Kildare Elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2020 general election February 2020 Noel Connolly
Labour Mark Wall Athy Elected to Seanad Éireann at the 2020 Seanad election May 2020 Mark Leigh
Green Vincent P. Martin Naas Nominated by the Taoiseach to Seanad Éireann June 2020 Colm Kenny

References

  1. ^ "Maternity care featured in debate on future of Kildare hospitals". Leinster Leader. 27 November 2008. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Council's new civic offices go full tilt in Naas". Irish Times. 26 January 2006. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  3. ^ Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014, Article 5 and Schedule 3 (S.I. No. 573 of 2014). Signed on 16 December 2014. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 26 April 2023.
  4. ^ County of Kildare Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 (S.I. No. 620 of 2018). Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 24 May 2019.
  5. ^ "2014 Local elections – Kildare County Council". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  6. ^ "2014 Local elections: Kildare County Council". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.

External links

Local government in the Republic of Ireland
Categories