'An absolute gentleman' - Laois councillor retires after 17 years of service

It was a sad day in the Laois County Council chambers as the long-standing Fianna Fáil councillor Padraig Fleming retired after 17 years of service to the Graiguecullen / Portarlington MD. 

Attending his last MD meeting on Wednesday, March 18, Cllr Fleming said it was "a great honour" to serve Laois and the districts of Graiguecullen and Portarlington.

Cllr Fleming, a brother of Laois TD Seán Fleming, served on Laois County Council since 2009 when he was elected to the Luggacurren Electoral Area. He then returned to represent the Graiguecullen / Portarlington MD in the 2014 local elections.

As well as a successful career in local politics, Cllr Fleming spent years working for Flemings' Fireclays Ltd. in The Swan and was an active volunteer with local youth services. He was Chairman of The Swan Youth Club and Ossory Youth Service for many years.

Speaking at his last MD meeting, he noted that there have been a lot of changes in the years since he was first elected, especially the rise in populations of areas like The Swan, Newtown, Doonane, Ballylinan, Graiguecullen, Stradbally and Portarlington. 

"Above all, what I enjoyed was working with the communities and people at the local level", Cllr Fleming told the council.

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The Fianna Fáil councillor also thanked all the staff at Laois County Council, saying: "They always do their best for the people of the area. No matter what, they try to get to the problem, solve it and move on. I say Laois is the best council in Ireland."

Cllr Fleming expressed his appreciation for the local community and his family for their continued support throughout his political career. 

"I want to thank my wife Catherine and daughters Avril, Rachel, and Stephanie for all their support over the years. They were fantastic. They went out canvassing too and helped get me elected."

His fellow councillors all paid tribute to Cllr Fleming at the meeting, all calling him an "absolute gentleman" to work with.

Fellow Fianna Fáil councillor Paschal McEvoy led the emotional tributes, saying: "I came here in 2014 and myself and Padraig sat together. He's a pure gentleman and what a councillor should be. I'll miss him."

Cllr Aidan Mullins remarked that his presence in the council chambers was always one of calm, and added that he never heard Cllr Fleming raise his voice once.

More kind words came from Cllr Aisling Moran who said that he was a great man for advice when she was first elected. Despite any disagreements along the way, she said they always left the chambers as friends. 

Members of Laois County Council also thanked Cllr Fleming for his work over the years and wished him all the best in the future.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme