End of an Era: Three Kilkenny councillors call time on political careers

The closing date for Local Election candidates to have their name on the ballot for June's election has now passed.

Locals will head to polling stations on Friday, June 7 to have their say with 50 candidates vying for seats in four areas across Co Kilkenny; Castlecomer, Piltown, Callan-Thomastown and Kilkenny City.

There are 24 council seats to be filled across the four Local Electoral Areas (LEAs) with just three sitting councillors not seeking re-election; Eamonn Aylward (Piltown) & Matt Doran and Patrick O'Neill (Callan-Thomastown).

Patrick O'Neill spoke to the Kilkenny People following his announcement to leave local politics in September 2023.

The Fine Gael representative, first elected to Kilkenny County Council in 2014, has held a number of high-profile positions within the local authority, including roles as Mayor of Kilkenny City in 2016 and Chairman of the Callan-Thomastown Municipal District in 2019.

In 2020, Cllr O’Neill was selected as a Fine Gael candidate for the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency but missed out on election to the Dáil.

Although in a seemingly strong political position, the councillor, who has labelled life 'hectic' in recent months, has decided to call time on his political career due to demanding work commitments and a wish to spend more time with his family.

"It’s been on my mind for a good year and a half, two years," Cllr O’Neill said, claiming it was a tough decision, but something had to give.

"Not getting back to constituents as quickly as before made me feel a certain level of fear and trepidation when meeting people," adding, "It’s better for someone who has the time to commit."

Cllr O’Neill, whose father Pat Snr, served as a local representative and senator, ranked highly in the 2019 local elections, securing over 1000 votes in the Callan-Thomastown area. 

However, a health scare, which saw his wife Lorna hospitalised in May, hit home for the Bennettsbridge man.

"That made my mind up fully," he said.

"That day cleared my mind and I knew then that I was making the right call to focus on the day job, my family and the kids."

The health set-back was the 'final push' for Cllr O’Neill who despite not ruling out a potential return in the future, feels he’s making the correct decision.

The former Mayor looks back on his 2016-17 term as the highlight of his career: "I was the first rural councillor not living in the city to serve as Mayor, and that came with its own pressures, but I feel I did it my own way," he said.

"I went where I was asked, I felt I did things a little bit differently to everyone else, I think my year in general was a success, I had time for everyone and I opened the town hall to as many groups as possible."

The Fine Gael councillor focused exclusively on his council duties during his term as mayor, a decision he doesn’t regret. 

"It gave me an opportunity to immerse myself in the role," he remarked. 

His tenure allowed him to welcome numerous community groups to City Hall, stating a visit from the Bennettsbridge U-14 Feile team was an apt way to sign off his term, which had included a number of highlights, not least the visit of the then Prince Charles to Kilkenny.

Reflecting on his time in local politics, Cllr O’Neill paid special tributes to his family, employer and the Bennettsbridge community for their support and despite making a change to his lifestyle, hopes to continue his involvement in local life, in the months and years to come.