Newly-elected Mayor McGuinness has ‘a big vision for Kilkenny’

Newly-elected Mayor of Kilkenny, Councillor Andrew McGuinness said that it is important ‘to have a big vision’ for the city.

The Fianna Fáil councillor was elected mayor for the third time on Friday afternoon in County Hall, having previously held office in 2014 and 2021.

Outgoing mayor, Cllr Joe Malone said he had the privilege of putting Cllr Andrew McGuinness forward as mayor and said that he had ‘no doubt that he will be a good mayor' and will ‘hit the ground running’ and ‘will represent the city well’.

“Councillor McGuinness has 21 years of unbroken service and he topped the polls in the last five elections. He is part of a political family going back many generations,” added Cllr Joe Malone.

The proposal was seconded by Cllr David Fitzgerald.

Mayor McGuinness told the members of the Kilkenny Municipal District and friends and family who watched on from the public gallery and online that it was ‘a huge personal honour’ to be elected mayor for the third time ‘not just because of my family’s history with this office, but because I know how important the position of mayor is in the hearts and minds of so many in this city’. He also thanked his proposer and seconder and his fellow elected members for putting their trust in him to carry out the task of mayor for the coming year.

The newly-elected mayor spoke about his aims and ambitions for the year ahead and said that he wants to see the expansion of the current bus routes in the city and the parking chaos around Nowlan Park on match days addressed.

The mayor also said that the CCTV scheme for the city ‘must be implemented’ adding that ‘whatever obstacles that are slowing that down need to be addressed urgently’.

Another pressing issue for members is the completion of the Ring Road.

“It’s been an election issue since long before I ever got into politics and at this stage people believe it will never happen. Could you blame them? This needs to be on the agenda at every meeting, be it this council or the full council, until we see boots on the ground.”

“It’s important to be ambitious and to have a big vision for Kilkenny but it’s even more import to bring the people we represent along with us. We need to get back to basic and work even closer with local communities so they can stand proudly with us when we embark on bigger projects and ambitious plans, doing our best to make Kilkenny an even better place to live, work, enjoy and visit’.

The mayor also thanked his family and friends for their support and his campaign manager and close friend, Joe Reidy and long time campaigner, Mary Kealy.

Councillor Joe Malone was elected deputy mayor. He was proposed by Cllr David Fitzgerald and the proposal was seconded by

Cllr John Coonan.