This time next year, we will be in the throes of election fever as the people of Laois will be getting ready to select the next Laois County Council.
Between now and then, there will be plenty going on behind the scenes as political parties and individuals get their houses in order.
Fianna Fáil are first out of the traps in that regard as nominations to go forward for convention closed on May 4.
While Fianna Fail HQ will eventually confirm the full list, LaoisToday understands that 15 people are in the running across the three electoral areas.
Six in the Portlaoise Municipal Area, five in Borris-In-Ossory-Mountmellick and four in Graiguecullen-Portarlington.
Fianna Fail currently have six sitting Councillors, two in each area, and all of those have been selected to go again.
Portlaoise
In Portlaoise, Catherine Fitzgerald and John Joe Fennelly are set to contest to get on the Fianna Fail ticket once more.
Fitzgerald and Fennelly were both elected in 1999 and have successfully contested five elections.
Former Councillor Pauline Flanagan, who spent a year in the chamber after co-option following the passing of Jerry Lodge but then lost her seat in the 2019 election, is set to look to go again.
While the fourth person to have thrown their hat in the ring in Portlaoise is Naeem Iqbal.
Mr Iqbal, a Pakistani native who has been living in Ireland since 2005 with his young family, got 454 first preferences as an Independent in 2019 and was eventually only eliminated in the 13th count on 638 votes.
While there is the potential for two newcomers to stand for election for the very first time.
LaoisToday understands that Eimhin McEvoy, a native of Portlaoise, has thrown his hat in the ring.
McEvoy previously served as treasurer of Fianna Fail’s Ogra group and is currently secretary of the Laois group.
The final named linked with the Portlaoise nominations is someone from the edge of the district – Spink’s Brian Brennan.
He was in the mix to be co-opted when Jerry Lodge passed away and is heavily involved in the Spink-Knock community.
Meanwhile, Donal Kelly ran for election for the party in Portlaoise in 2019 but he has since left Fianna Fail and is set to run as an Independent.
Borris-Mountmellick
In Borris-Mountmellick, Paddy Bracken and Seamus McDonald are both sitting Councillors.
McDonald has been a Councillor since 1985 and successfully contested seven elections.
Paddy Bracken has been a member of Laois County Council since October 2003 when he was co-opted in place of John Moloney when TDs were no longer allowed to also sit on the council.
Two of the other three names that have been linked to the nominations contested election in 2019.
Former GAA president Liam O’Neill has been nominated again and he received 557 first preference votes before being eliminated after the 5th count.
While so too has Declan Goode, a native of Clonad but a retired member of an Garda Siochana who lives in Clonaslee.
He also ran in 2019 and received 542 first preference votes before being eliminated after the 3rd count.
The newcomer in that area is set to be Castletown native Fintan Cuddy who is set to contest for a spot on the ticket for the first time.
Graiguecullen-Portarlington
In Graiguecullen-Portarlington, Paschal McEvoy and Padraig Fleming are both sitting Councillors.
Stradbally’s McEvoy was first elected in 2014 and increased his first preference vote from 883 to 1,416 when reelected in 2019.
Padraig Fleming was elected to Luggacurren Electoral Area for Laois County Council in June 2009 and was then re-elected in 2014 and 2019.
They are set to be up against two men who are relative newcomers to politics.
Timahoe’s Willie Ramsbottom, who missed out on contesting the nomination last year due to an admin error, is back in the mix again.
The fourth person in the mix in this area is Portarlington teenager Joey Kennedy.
Just 19-years-old and set to sit his Leaving Cert in June, he owns furniture company Willow and Green with his brother and could be one of the youngest ever to run for election if successful.
LaoisToday understands that Portarlington’s Deidre O’Connell-Hopkins, who ran for the party in 2019, will not contest to do so this time.
In 2019, Fianna Fail ran a total of 11 candidates. Four each in Portlaoise and Borris-Mountmellick and three in Graiguecullen–Portarlington.
After the nominations are confirmed, conventions in each of the three areas are set to be convened, and these could take place as early as next month.
Each of these are likely to select two candidates with Fianna Fáil HQ maintaining the authority to add further candidates if they see fit.
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