Ballyroan man is elected first citizen of Laois
Newly elected Cathaoirleach Barry Walsh with his wife Gemma and children Cillian, Ellie and Oisín. Photo: Michael Scully
A BALLYROAN quantity surveyor is the new Cathaoirleach (chairperson) of Laois Co Council, 105 years after his great great-grandfather held the same role.
Fine Gael councillor Barry Walsh was elected first citizen of the county this afternoon, when he defeated Portlaoise councillor Tommy Mulligan (Ind) by 12 votes to seven at the council’s AGM.
Cllr Walsh follows in the footsteps of his ancestor James McMahon, who was elected to Laois Co Council in 1899 for the Cullenagh area and was chair from 1920-1921.
It was an emotional day for the newly elected cathaoirleach, whose mother Dympna died suddenly last February. As he took over the chain of office from outgoing chair Cllr Pádraig Fleming, he said: “Today is a bittersweet day for me, because unfortunately we lost my mam a few months ago, but I know she is looking down on me proudly.”
Fine Gael TD Willie Aird and former Ballyroan councillors Charlie McDonald and Mary Sweeney, whom Cllr Walsh replaced in January 2023 following her retirement, were among the large gathering in the council chamber together with proud members of Cllr Walsh’s family, including his wife Gemma, their children Cillian, Ellie and Oisín and his dad Peter.
A past-pupil of Heywood CS in Ballinakill, with a degree in quantity surveying and construction management from Dublin Institute of Technology, Cllr Walsh said his key priorities over the next year will include active travel projects, school road safety, dereliction, affordable housing, jobs and more IDA investment.
Meanwhile, Stradbally councillor Paschal McEvoy (FF) was elected vice-chair, defeating Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley (Ind) by 12 votes to six.
While they warmly congratulated the new chair and vice-chair, councillors Mulligan and Dwane Stanley again criticised the ongoing pact between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, which prevents all others from taking lucrative top roles.
Cllr Mulligan commented: “I don’t think it’s right that, with just over 60 percent of the public vote, you get all of the roles and monetary benefits. They did not vote for ye to exclude me.”
Many tributes were paid to outgoing chair Cllr Fleming, who was repeatedly praised as a fantastic ambassador for the county during his year in office, when he attended more than 100 official events.
