New faces on Laois County Council - new council breakdown confirmed

There'll be four new faces for Laois County Council's photographer to organise in the family album photo is taken when the new council convenes for the first time in June.

In Portlaoise, out goes Pauline Madigan of Fianna Fáil in Portlaoise to be replaced by Fine Gael's Thomasina Connell. Ms Madigan is on the Fianna Fáil ticket for the next General Election in Laois Offaly while Cllr Connell is a former Fine Gael General Election candidate in Laois. 

In Portarlington Graiguecullen Cllr Aisling Moran replaces her father John who retired at the end of the 2014-19 council.

Meanwhile, in Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick sees the biggest change. Two Laois villages and surrounding areas have come out in force to return new faces. Cllr Ollie Clooney caused a shock in being returned from his Durrow Cullohill base. Cllr Conor Bergin is set to be the youngest councillor coming from his base in Borris-in-Ossory. He is also employed by Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan.

Dave Goodwin, Fine Gael, and Brendan Phelan, Independent, lost out. Phelan's defeat will be a bitter blow to a family which was steeped in politics, in particular, Fianna Fáil. Brendan was elected as an independent in 2014 after a bitter row over candidate selection.

 Portlaoise Municipal District 

Willie Aird - Fine Gael

John Joe Fennelly - Fianna Fáil

Caroline Dwane Stanley - Sinn Féin

Mary Sweeney - Fine Gael

Catherine Fitzgerald - Fianna Fáil

Noel Tuohy - Labour

Thomasina Connell - Fine Gael

(3 Fine Gael, 2 Fianna Fáil, 1 Sinn Fein, 1 Labour)

Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

Paddy Bracken - Fianna Fáil

James Kelly - Non-Party

Seamus McDonald - Fianna Fáil

Conor Bergin - Fine Gael

John King - Fine Gael

Ollie Clooney - Non-party

(2 Fine Gael, 2 Fianna Fáil, 2 Non-Party)

Portarlington/Graiguecullen

Padraig Fleming - Fianna Fáil

Aidan Mullins - Sinn Féin

Tom Mulhall - Fine Gael

Paschal McEvoy - Fianna Fáil 

Ben Brennan - Non-Party 

Aisling Moran - Fine Gael 

(2 Fine Gael, 2 Fianna Fáil, 1 Sinn Fein and 1 Non-Party)

New Laois County Council party breakdown

7 Fine Gael - 36.8%

6 Fianna Fáil - 31.5%

3 Non-Party - 15.7%

2 Sinn Fein - 10.5%

1 Labour - 5.2%