Unknown territory for North Wexford candidates
MANY North Wexford candidates are taking a giant leap into the unknown in the forthcoming local elections following the revision of electoral boundaries that has resulted in the creation of a revamped Gorey district and an additional Kilmuckridge area.
The two electoral areas will join forces for the municipal district meetings, but will be separate in terms of representation and funding. The Gorey district will have six councillors elected while Kilmuckridge will have four.
The new boundary changes have impacted on some sitting councillors in the Gorey District, who now must run in Kilmuckridge, as well as some entering from the Enniscorthy district.
The new Kilmuckridge boundary covers the areas of Oylegate, Glenbrien, Ballymurn, Monageer, Boolavogue, Oulart, the Ballagh, Blackwater, Kilmuckridge, Monamolin, Ballyedmond, Ballygarrett, Killenagh, and Ballycanew.
Coming in to the new Kilmuckridge area from Gorey district are sitting councillors Mary Farrell and Pip Breen. Mary is an independent candidate, who lives in Cosher, Kilmuckridge and she took up her position on local council in 2014.
Pip Breen, who lives in Curraduff, Killenagh, has also been a councillor in the Gorey Municipal District since 2014.
Sitting councillors from Enniscorthy contesting in Kilmuckridge, are Fianna Fáil councillor, Willie Kavanagh, from Slaney Inn, Oylegate, and Fine Gael councillor, Oliver Walsh, who lives in Inch, Blackwater.
Cllr Kavanagh became a sitting councillor just three years ago, while Cllr Walsh took to local politics 18 years ago.
New candidates putting their names in the hat for Kilmuckridge are Edel Gahan, representing Fine Gael, Colette Nolan of Sinn Féin, Nicholas Wafer representing Labour and Peter Mernagh, representing Renua Ireland. Peter Mernagh is just 26 years old, a secondary school teacher by trade,
and he lives in Ballymotey Beg. Colette Nolan, who lives in Ferns, has been involved with Sinn Féin for some time and is known for her activism around rural mental health facilities. Edel Gahan, who was born in Boolavogue but now lives in Monamolin, has a background in the IFA in County Wexford.
Nicholas Wafer, who has been involved in Labour for many years, said: ‘It’s time for me to get out from beneath the shadows’ and run for local council. He is an electrician by trade and he Ballygarrett, and his uncles were heavily lives involved in local politics. involved hese eight candidates will battle it out for the available seats. Looking to the Gorey district, there are six seats available, and ten candidates who have declared their intention to run.
Cllr Malcolm Byrne of Fianna Fáil is running in the local elections again after topping the poll in 2014. But this time he is also standing for election to the European Parliament. He has confirmed that if elected for Europe, he will maintain a full time office in Gorey.
Returning to the political realm is Jimmy Fleming, who previously served as a town councillor for ten years, and represented Sinn Feín and Fianna Fáil. This time around he contesting as an independent candidate.
Fine Gael councillor John Hegarty, who has represented Gorey for the past decade, has won a party nomination to run in the Wexford district, where he now resides.
New candidates include Cinnamon Blackmore, running for People Before Profit, Diarmuid Devereux and Elaine Clarke, both representing Fine Gael, and Donal Kenny, Fianna Fáil.
Ms Blackmore lives in Gorey and has been an active member of People Before Profit since 2014. She is known locally for having held a vigil for those who suffered with cervical cancer, following the CervicalCheck crisis.
Former Wexford GAA chairman Diarmuid Devereux is native to Gorey, and he is vice chairperson of St Aidan’s Services in Gorey, voluntary CEO of Gorey Chamber of Commerce, and chairperson of the Ballycanew/Ballyoughter Community Development Association.
Elaine Clarke, who lives in Riverchapel, has been heavily involved in campaigning for a third secondary school in the area in recent months.
Sitting councillors Fionntán O’Súilleabháin of Sinn Féin, Anthony Donohoe of Fine Gael, and councillors Joe Sullivan of Fianna Fáil and Robert Ireton of Labour, are running once again in the Gorey district.
Robert Ireton has been involved in the Labour party and local politics for over 15 years, he is the only Labour candidate for the area. Fionntán O’Súilleabháin was elected as a councillor in 2014, and he is the only Sinn Féin candidate for the district.
Anthony Donohue of Fine Gael is the only sitting councillor running for Fine Gael this time around. Fianna Fáil’s Joe Sullivan is seeking re-election, after securing a seat in 2014.