Pictures: Here are the candidates seeking your vote in Kilkenny Local Electoral Area

Luke O'Connor (Irish Freedom Party)
Luke O’Connor is the Irish Freedom Party candidate for Kilkenny City in the 2024 Local Elections. The 28-year-old has worked in hospitality for the last 10 years before recently taking up work as a marketing consultant.

He previously ran in the 2019 Local Elections as an Independent candidate, and received 236 First Preference votes. Mr O’Connor is active on social media regarding issues such as immigration, and was one of the organisers of the Kilkenny says No protests last year.

“These protests highlighted the damage that was done to Kilkenny tourism and the local economy as a result of much of the tourist accommodation in the city being taken up with asylum seekers and refugees,” Mr O’Connor says.

“I have also been vocal in condemning housing minister Darragh O’Brien and the written order he sent out to councillors last year where he told them to disregard the criteria of ‘local connection’ to an area when assessing social housing lists.

“I believe we should house Irish citizens first. Other issues that I have raised during the campaign have been the need to reduce rates on local businesses, the need for high street to return to a two way system in order to improve accessibility to the city centre as well as the need for more parking. It is no wonder that there have been a spate of business closures in the city as a result of poorly thought-out policies enacted by our current councillors.”