Kildare County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Chill Dara) is the local authority of 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.
Kildare County Council Comhairle Contae Chill Dara | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Daragh Fitzpatrick, FF | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 40 |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 24 May 2019 |
| Motto | |
| Meanma agus Misneach (Irish) "Spirit and Courage" | |
| Meeting place | |
| Áras Chill Dara, Naas | |
| Website | |
| kildarecoco | |
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
Co-options
| Party | Outgoing | Electoral area | Reason | Date | Co-optee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinn Féin | Patricia Ryan | Kildare | Elected to the 33rd Dáil at the 2020 general election | February 2020 | Noel Connolly | |
| Labour | Mark Wall | Athy | Elected to the 26th Seanad at the 2020 Seanad election | May 2020 | Mark Leigh | |
| Green | Vincent P. Martin | Naas | Nominated by the Taoiseach to the 26th Seanad | June 2020 | Colm Kenny | |