Veteran FF politician to retire from Laois County Council
Delighted daughters Rachel and Stephanie have kisses for their dad Pádraig Fleming (FF) after he retained his seat in the 2014 local elections. Photo: Alf Harvey
A VETERAN Fianna Fáil politician is to retire from Laois County Council, after a long and distinguished career.
Cllr Pádraig Fleming from The Swan, an elder brother of Seán Fleming TD, confirmed his decision to senior party colleagues this week.
Universally described as an absolute gentleman by political friends and foes alike, he held the top role of council Cathaoirleach (chairperson) from 2017-18 and from 2024-25.
First elected to the council in 2009, he easily retained his seat in all three subsequent local elections and topped the poll in 2019 in the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District (MD), with a massive 1,761 first preference votes. It is expected that he will attend his last monthly meeting of Laois County Council on 30 March.
As Cathaoirleach, he particularly loved supporting local organisations and events throughout the county and proudly representing Laois on the international stage, most memorably at the St Patrick’s Day parade in New York in both 2018 and 2025.
Among those on the Laois delegation to New York last year was council chief executive Michael Rainey, who paid warm tributes to Cllr Fleming when his last term as Cathaoirleach ended in June 2025.
Speaking at the council’s annual meeting, when the Fianna Fáil councillor handed over the chain of office to current Cathaoirleach Cllr Barry Walsh (FG), Mr Rainey highlighted Cllr Fleming’s “positivity and professionalism” and his exceptional commitment and hard work on behalf of all the people of Laois.
Mr Rainey said: “The word ‘gentleman’ comes up a lot in relation to Pádraig. He was extremely accommodating to council management and staff and would go out of his way to be of assistance.”
Married to Catherine with three adult daughters, Cllr Fleming worked in logistics for Avonmore, now Tirlán, for more than 40 years and was deeply involved in many local and regional organisations, including a long-serving chairmanship with Ossory Youth.
The party now has the task of co-opting a successor to Cllr Fleming in the Graiguecullen-Portarlington MD in coming weeks. Among those tipped to take the seat is Laois Fianna Fáil vice-chairperson Joey Kennedy from Portarlington, who polled well in the district in the 2024 local elections.
