Louth Green Pary launches candidates for upcoming elections

The Louth Green Party formally launched their candidates for the upcoming Local and European elections last Wednesday night at the D Hotel, Drogheda.

Mark Dearey, Chair of the Louth Green Party, opened the evening with high praise for the candidates, stating, "Our candidates have committed themselves to serve their communities including newcomers from both home and abroad."

The Green Party says it has introduced a strong slate of candidates aiming for seats on Louth County Council. The candidates include sitting Cllr Marianne Butler for Dundalk South; Michael Kennedy from Marley's Lane, representing Drogheda Urban; and Anthony Murphy from Monasterboice for Drogheda Rural.

Cllr Marianne Butler, who seeks re-election in Dundalk South, shared her vision for the upcoming term. “I want to use my experience so that our plans are ambitious, future proofed and take a long term view for Dundalk South and County Louth, which is needed now more than ever.

“I am really looking forward to Anthony Murphy and Michael Kennedy joining Louth County Council and together the three of us becoming a strong coherent team on the Council.”

Anthony Murphy addressed his priorities for Drogheda, focusing on sustainable urban planning to combat vacancy and dereliction. "Immediate action is needed to bring life back to Drogheda town centre and replace vacancy and dereliction with vibrant living streets" Murphy said.

“Local authorities are now at the forefront of adapting to climate change, from reducing emissions to supporting biodiversity. This is crucial, particularly for a low-lying area like Louth, which faces serious risks from flooding, which we’ve all seen first-hand in recent months" he noted.

In his remarks, Michael Kennedy, stressed the importance of inclusion and volunteerism to building stronger communities. “I’ve am proud to work alongside anti-racism activists in our community who refuse to let Drogheda be infiltrated by the politics of hate” he said.

"I also want to help reconnect the urban area with biodiversity, by increasing native broadleaf tree coverage on large green areas. I also want to push for the establishment of community gardens and allotments for those in the town” continued Kennedy.

"As a scout leader, I see first hand the value that community volunteers bring to Drogheda. After the lockdowns however, many groups have struggled to return to their pre-Covid volunteer numbers. I will push to give these groups the help that they need” he concluded.

Also in attendance was the Green Party’s European Parliament candidate for Midlands North West, Senator Pauline O’Reilly. Her remarks highlighted, what the Green Party says, is the crucial role of the European Union in addressing climate change and supporting local communities across the Midlands North West constituency.