Young Portarlington Fianna Fáil man tipped for elevation to Laois County Council

The contest to replace Cllr Padraig Fleming on Laois County Council looks set to be competitive, with at least three people confirming they are interested in replacing the senior Fianna Fáil councillor.

However, a senior Fianna Fáil source on Laois County Council believes that the party may opt for the only candidate in the field with electoral experience because it gives them a chance of taking a seat in the Portarlington area, where the party has no elected representative.

Cllr Fleming is due to attend his last full monthly meeting of Laois County Council on Monday, March 30, when he will officially retire from electoral politics having served as a councillor since 2009.

Fianna Fáil HQ is not expected to officially begin the process of replacing him until after that meeting, but a selection convention is expected to take place in April.

With no member of the Fleming family interested in entering local politics at this point, near instant interest has emerged in replacing him.

Two young members of the party confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that they will seek the support of members to be co-opted onto Laois County Council to represent the Graiguecullen Portarlington Municipal District. 

Portarlington-based Joey Kennedy contested the 2024 local election as a late addition to the Fianna Fáil ticket. He secured 578 first preference votes. He told the Leinster Express that he believes that if he gets an opportunity to serve three years on the council, he would be in a strong position to retain a seat for Fianna Fáil at the next local elections.

Aged 20, Stradbally-based Ross Molly would be one of the youngest councillors in Ireland in Laois if elected. A member of Fianna Fáil for five years, he says he has the support of Cllr Paschal McEvoy, who topped the poll at the 2024 local elections. Mr Molloy acknowledges that the Stradbally Timahoe area is already represented by Cllr McEvoy and Cllr Vivienne Phelan. However, he insists he is in politics for the long haul regardless.

Elva Kelly is also expressing an interest in running. Potentially being the only female interested will work in her favour as the party attempts to redress its gender balance. Ms Kelly is the wife of the Laois GAA County Board Chairperson PJ Kelly and lives in The Swan, where the Fleming family hail from. Her father, the late Seamus Dwyer, was a senior party member for many years.

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Two other names have been mentioned in dispatches, Willie Ramsbottom from Timahoe and Eoin Delaney from Crettyard. 

Mr Ramsbottom is also involved with the GAA as the Laois county board's delegate on the Leinster Council. 

Mr Delaney worked as a special adviser to Seán Fleming in the Dáil after the Laois TD was appointed a Minister of State under the previous Government. He was also among the escorts at the Rose of Tralee in 2025, which was won by Laois Rose Katelyn Cummins. Despite his close ties, he is not seen at this point as a potential replacement, as he is living in Australia.

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Cllr John Joe Fennelly is the leader of the Fianna Fáil grouping on Laois County Council. He told the Leinster Express that it will be up to Fianna Fáil HQ to officially open the selection process. 

He said he did not expect this to commence officially until after Cllr Fleming retires. However, he said he hoped that the nominations would open in April, with the convention also taking place in April. Cllr Fleming also wants to see the process completed ahead of the Council's May monthly meeting.

Fianna Fáil is the biggest party on Laois County Council but only holds two of the six seats in the big electoral district.