Laois General Election candidate makes history in Portlaoise

Portlaoise Fine Gael county councillor Willie Aird made personal history in Portlaoise today in his campaign to represent Laois in Dáil Éireann and winning a seat held by his grandfather in the early years of the State.

Cllr Aird signed his General Election nomination papers in Portlaoise Courthouse on Friday, November 15 in the company of the Laois General Election Returning Officer Rory Hanniffy.

It was a historic signature for the Fine Gael man who has served Portlaoise as a local councillor since 1979.

The farmer and local politician is following in the footsteps of his grandfather William Patrick Aird who was elected as a Teachta Dála for the then Leix Offaly constituency in 1927. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

An auctioneer, farmer, and merchant, Aird senior was elected to as a Cumann na nGaedheal TD. He died during the 6th Dáil but no by-election was held for his seat, as a general election was held less than three months later which would see Fianna Fáil take power under Eamon DeValera.

Cllr Aird's tilt at the Dáil is historic for other reason as he is bidding to replacing Charlie Flanagan in Leinster House as the TD for Laois. The Flanagan family representation in Dáil from Laois dates back to World War II when Oliver J Flanagan was elected as an independent in 1943. He joined Fine Gael in 1952 and remained a TD until 1987. He did not contest in 1987 but his son Charlie did and retained the seat for Fine Gael. 

Charlie Flangan lost the seat in 2002 but won it back in 2007. He would later go on to serve in three ministries, Children, Foreign Affairs and Justice.