# Kildare County Council

Kildare County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Chill Dara) is the local authority of County Kildare, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 40 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a chief executive, Sonya Kavanagh. The county town is Naas.

## History

The County Council was formed in 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. It was originally based at Naas Courthouse but, after a major fire in the courthouse, moved to the former St Mary's Fever Hospital in the late 1950s. By late 1990s, the old hospital buildings were in poor condition, and the county council identified the former Devoy Barracks site as its preferred location for new facilities. It moved to Áras Chill Dara on the site of the old barracks site in 2006.

## Regional Assembly

Kildare County Council has three representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Eastern Strategic Planning Area Committee.

## Elections

Members of Kildare County Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).
| Year | | FF | | FG | | Lab | | SD | | GP | | SF | | II | | PDs | | WP | | Ind | Total |
| 2024 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 40 |
| 2019 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 40 |
| 2014 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 40 |
| 2009 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 6 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 25 |
| 2004 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 25 |
| 1999 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 25 |
| 1991 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 25 |
| 1985 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 25 |

## Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts

County Kildare is divided into municipal districts and LEAs, defined by electoral divisions.
| Municipal District | LEA | Definition | Seats |
| Athy | Athy | Athy East Urban, Athy Rural, Athy West Urban, Ballaghmoon, Ballitore, Ballybrackan, Ballyshannon, Belan, Bert, Burtown, Carrigeen, Castledermot, Churchtown, Dunmanoge, Fontstown, Graney, Grangemellon, Harristown, Inchaquire, Johnstown, Kilberry, Kilkea, Kilrush, Moone, Narraghmore, Nurney, Skerries and Usk. | 5 |
| Celbridge–Leixlip | Celbridge | Donaghcumper; and those parts of the electoral division of Celbridge not contained in the local electoral area of Leixlip. | 4 |
| Celbridge–Leixlip | Leixlip | Leixlip; and those parts of the electoral division of Celbridge to the north of a line drawn along the M4 motorway. | 3 |
| Clane–Maynooth | Clane | Ballynadrumny, Cadamstown, Carbury, Carrick, Clane, Donore, Downings, Drehid, Dunfierth, Kilmeage North, Kilmeage South, Kilpatrick, Kilrainy, Lullymore, Robertstown, Timahoe North, Timahoe South and Windmill Cross. | 5 |
| Clane–Maynooth | Maynooth | Balraheen, Cloncurry (in the former Rural District of Celbridge No. 1), Donadea, Kilcock, Maynooth, and Straffan. | 5 |
| Kildare–Newbridge | Kildare | Ballysax East, Ballysax West, Cloncurry (in the former Rural District of Edenderry No. 2), Dunmurry, Feighcullen, Kildangan, Kildare, Killinthomas, Lackagh, Monasterevin, Pollardstown, Quinsborough, Rathangan, Rathernan and Thomastown. | 5 |
| Kildare–Newbridge | Newbridge | Carnalway, Carragh, Droichead Nua Rural, Droichead Nua Urban, Gilltown, Kilcullen, Ladytown, Morristownbiller and Oldconnell. | 6 |
| Naas | Naas | Ballymore Eustace, Bodenstown, Kill, Killashee, Kilteel, Naas Rural, Naas Urban, Newtown, Oughterard and Rathmore. | 7 |

## Councillors

The following were elected at the 2024 Kildare County Council election.
| Party | Seats |
| Fianna Fáil | 12 |
| Fine Gael | 11 |
| Social Democrats | 7 |
| Labour | 5 |
| Independent Ireland | 1 |
| Sinn Féin | 1 |
| Independent | 3 |

### Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.
Council members from 2024 election :
| Local electoral area | Name | Party |
| Athy | Aoife Breslin | Labour |
| Athy | Ivan Keatley | Fine Gael |
| Athy | Brian Dooley | Fianna Fáil |
| Athy | Veralouise Behan | Fianna Fáil |
| Athy | Mark Leigh | Labour |
| Celbridge | David Trost | Fianna Fáil |
| Celbridge | Claire O'Rourke | Social Democrats |
| Celbridge | Lumi Panaite Fahey | Fine Gael |
| Celbridge | Rupert Heather | Labour |
| Clane | Brendan Wyse | Fine Gael |
| Clane | Pádraig McEvoy | Independent |
| Clane | Aidan Farrelly | Social Democrats |
| Clane | William Durkan | Fine Gael |
| Clane | Daragh Fitzpatrick | Fianna Fáil |
| Kildare | Suzanne Doyle | Fianna Fáil |
| Kildare | Kevin Duffy | Fine Gael |
| Kildare | Brian O'Loughlin | Fianna Fáil |
| Kildare | Pat Balfe | Social Democrats |
| Kildare | Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh | Sinn Féin |
| Leixlip | Joe Neville | Fine Gael |
| Leixlip | Nuala Killeen | Social Democrats |
| Leixlip | Bernard Caldwell | Fianna Fáil |
| Maynooth | Naoise Ó Cearúil | Fianna Fáil |
| Maynooth | Tim Durkan | Fine Gael |
| Maynooth | Angela Feeney | Labour |
| Maynooth | Peter Melrose | Social Democrats |
| Maynooth | Paul Ward | Fianna Fáil |
| Naas | Bill Clear | Social Democrats |
| Naas | Fintan Brett | Fine Gael |
| Naas | Evie Sammon | Fine Gael |
| Naas | Seamie Moore | Independent |
| Naas | Anne Breen | Labour |
| Naas | Carmel Kelly | Fianna Fáil |
| Naas | Ger Dunne | Independent Ireland |
| Newbridge | Tracey O'Dwyer | Fine Gael |
| Newbridge | Peggy O'Dwyer | Fine Gael |
| Newbridge | Chris Pender | Social Democrats |
| Newbridge | Noel Heavey | Fianna Fáil |
| Newbridge | Robert Power | Fianna Fáil |
| Newbridge | Tom McDonnell | Independent |

#### Notes

* 1 2 3 4 Replaced during term, see table below for details.
* ↑ Changed party, see table below for details.

#### Co-options

| Party | Outgoing | LEA | Reason | Date | Co-optee |
| Social Democrats | Aidan Farrelly | Clane | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 19 December 2024 | Paula Mulroe |
| Fine Gael | Joe Neville | Leixlip | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 19 December 2024 | Paul Brooks |
| Sinn Féin | Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh | Kildare | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 19 December 2024 | Noel Connolly |
| Fianna Fáil | Naoise Ó Cearúil | Maynooth | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 19 December 2024 | Donna Phelan |

#### Changes in affiliation

| Name | LEA | Elected as | Elected as | New affiliation | New affiliation | Date |
| Bill Clear | Naas | | Social Democrats | | Independent | September 2024 |