5.
John Coonan (Fianna Fail)Councillor John Coonan desribes serving Kilkenny as ‘a profound honour’. A retired nurse, he is married to Ann, with whom he lives in Willow Close, Loughboy. They have one son, Aidan. Since 2020, Cllr Coonan says he has championed housing initiatives, supporting the delivery of over 1,500 new homes, including 593 social homes, and securing €6.7 million in grants for first-time buyers and accessibility upgrades. Among the issues important to him are public transport, including the new bus shelters, and he says his aim is to expand coverage to key locations. He would also like to see enhancements to roads, footpaths, and public lighting while fostering inter-generational programmes like playgrounds for children is crucial for a connected community. The Fianna Fail councillor was first elected to Kilkenny County Council in 2009. He narrowly failed to win a seat in the new electoral area of Kilkenny City West in 2014, but won his seat back in 2019 when the city was restored to one electoral area, and served a term as mayor in 2020. “I’ve secured and delivered improvements to Ardnore, Melville Heights, Loughboy, Patrick Street, Glendine and Ballyfoyle Road areas,” he says. “I am eager to continue representing you, driving progress, and promoting inclusivity. On June 7, I humbly ask for your support to keep building a brighter, better Kilkenny City.”
6.
Maria Dollard (Green Party)Green Party representative, Cllr Maria Dollard first co-opted on to Kilkenny County Council to fill the seat vacated by Malcolm Noonan following his election to the Dail in February 2020. Cllr Dollard has 25 years experience in disability advocacy and 30 years experience in adult and community education, advocating for autistic people’s entitlements for basic rights and services. She has also worked in prison education along with a number of ETB’s and the HSE in disability services. Ahead of her first election vote, the local councillor says she wants to keep working to ensure that Kilkenny meets the coming challenges in a way that works for everyone. In recent months, Cllr Dollard tabled a motion at a Kilkenny County Council meeting for the Irish government to recognise the state of Palestine. Ms Dollard has also been critical of the ‘car-focused’ angle when debating the one-way system in Kilkenny City Centre and is eager to reduce car congestion in parts of the city. The completion of the ring road, increasing bus routes and greater enforcement of litter laws are high on Cllr Dollard’s agenda. for a new term. Cllr Dollard is the wife to high-profile weatherman, Niall Dollard. In her public life so far, she has held roles as chair of Keep Kilkenny Beautiful, Kilkenny Special Olympics and a Board Member of the Kingsriver Community.
7.
David Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)Fine Gael councillor David Fitzgerald has been a member of Kilkenny County Council since 2009. He was served two terms as Mayor of Kilkenny, in 2011 and 2022, and also a term as Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council.Cllr Fitzgerald has been outspoken on many issues including promoting local businesses, a carbon neutral city, and to zone land in the city’s east for a new school. He was against the original decision to increase parking charges in the city, the only councillor to vote against it initially. He has called for a major Centre for Performing Arts to be located on the Abbey Quarter. Cllr Fitzgerald was first elected to Kilkenny Borough Council on his first attempt in 2009.Most recently, he was elected on the second count in 2019, securing 1,151 votes. He confirmed last year he would seek nomination to be the Fine Gael candidate for the next General Election. He previously ran in the 2016 General Election and 2015 By-Election, garnering a solid vote but missing out on both occasions. He is the son of Mary Crotty and Alexis FitzGerald, who together ran FitzGerald Auctioneers in Kilkenny. He is married to Paula, and they have four children. Cllr FitzGerald holds various qualifications including diplomas and degrees in Economics, Surveying and Marketing from Trinity College Dublin, Dublin Institute of Technology and The Marketing Institute of Ireland.
8.
Liam Heffernan (IND)Local charity worker and humanitarian, Liam Heffernan is contesting the upcoming local election as an independent. A former member of the Communication Workers Union, Mr Heffernan’s charitable manner has shone during multiple parts of his life. Mr Heffernan is a former President of St Vincent De Paul and has devoted much of his life to helping others. The local man has also spent many years travelling to South Africa alongside his wife to help those less fortunate, and raising funds for the needy. He took part in numerous projects with the aim of providing homes, schools and an orphanage to assist impoverished communities in South Africa’s townships. Mr Heffernan previously stated his disapproval of the Central Access Scheme (CAS) which caused great disagreement and debate amongst local people when it first became a talking point over a decade ago. In recent years, he was a member of the John Needs Pembro committee. The group came together when the John Needs Pembro fundraising committee was formed in November, 2018 with a common goal - to help popular a local man pay for the course of 30 infusions of the cancer treatment Pembrolizumab. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr Heffernan organised day trips for a large number of Ukrainians living in the area.He is involved in many different groups throughout the community and is well known for his activism and advocacy work.