Wedding bells in Rome for Laois councillor
Laois Fine Gael councillor Conor Bergin and Leonie Canavan, pictured outside the Colosseum in Rome after their wedding ceremony
A LAOIS councillor has tied the knot in Rome, wisely swapping grey October skies for the sun-filled warmth of Italy.
Cllr Conor Bergin and primary school teacher Leonie Canavan exchanged their wedding vows on Thursday, before sharing joyful photos of the big day on social media.
It is a memorable ending to a milestone year for the Fine Gael councillor, who qualified as a solicitor in May and was elected chair of the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick municipal district in June.
A native of Westmeath, Leonie looked stunning in a floor-length white gown while her new husband looked suitably dashing by her side, his pink tie matching her beautiful bouquet of pink roses.
From Shanboe, Borris-in-Ossory, Cllr Bergin was only 25 when he was first elected to Laois Co Council in 2019 and scooped the county’s highest first preference vote in last year’s local elections.
In 2021, he became the youngest county council cathaoirleach (chairperson) in Ireland, when he was elected as youngest-ever chairperson of Laois Co Council.
Now in his early 30s, he previously worked as a political advisor to former Laois TD Charlie Flanagan during his senior ministries.
Cllr Bergin won a nomination to run for Fine Gael in the 2024 general election but withdrew to give current TD Willie Aird a clear run ‘in the interest of party unity’.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, he will almost certainly be a general election candidate in the future, with wife and loyal supporter Leonie by his side.
