BREAKING: Four new councillors and new cathaoirleach for Kildare
Kildare County Council has a new cathaoirleach and four new councillors.
The changes were approved by the 40 councillors of Kildare County Council today.
The new cathaoirleach, or chairperson, is Monasterevin councillor Kevin Duffy.
Neville’s job as a councillor was taken by the coopted Paul Brooks, who is a university lecturer and vice chairman of Leixlip GAA club.
Noel Connolly (Sinn Féin) made a return to the council chamber.
He replaces Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh.
Ni Raghallaigh was a councillor for only a few months having been first elected in June as SF’s only representative on KCC.
Cllr Connolly unsuccessfully contested the local election and this is the second time he has been coopted. He was put forward by his party to replace Patricia Ryan, when she won a seat in the 2020 general election.
Prosperous woman Paula Mulroe got the nod from the Social Democrats to succeed Aidan Farrelly, who was also elected to the Dáil for Kildare North.
A native of County Galway, Mulroe is the Head of the Department of Humanities at the South East Technological University.
The meeting was attended by family members of the new councillors, who were welcomed by KCC’s chief executive Sonya Kavanagh. Ms Kavanagh said: “I’m sure each of you will represent Kildare to the best of your ability.”