BREAKING: Cathaoirleach and leas Cathaoirleach for the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District 2023-2024 revealed

The new Cathaoirleach and leas Cathaoirleach for the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District (MD) have been formally elected.

Fianna Fáil (FF) councillor Noel Heavey was elected as Cathaoirleach, while his party colleague, Cllr Anne Connolly, was elected as the latest leas Cathaoirleach at the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District meeting held earlier today in the MERITS building in Naas.

The Cllrs succeed FF Cllr Suzanne Doyle and Fine Gael (FG) Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer as the MD's Cathaoirleach and leas Cathaoirleach respectively.

Cllr Heavey was nominated by FG Cllr Peggy O'Dwyer, and was seconded by FF Cllr Rob Power, while his other party colleague, Cllr Doyle, said that Cllr Heavey has 'a lot of experience.'

These nominations were uncontested.

Speaking about Cllr Heavey, Cllr O'Dwyer said that she considered him to be a friend, while Cllr Power remarked that Cllr Heavey 'has more heart in the job than anyone I've ever met.'

FG Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer nominated Cllr Connolly as the leas Cathaoirleach, and described Cllr Connolly as 'a community person, through and through.'

This decision was seconded by FF Cllr Suzanne Doyle, who said about Cllr Connolly: "She is very diligent... nothing gets past her!"

The nomination for Cllr Connolly was also uncontested, and she thanked everyone for her appointment.

Commenting on his appointment, Cllr Heavey said that his parents would have been proud to see him in the role.

He also thanked his family, who were present at the meeting, and 'everyone who moulded him, good, bad and indifferent.'

Cllr Heavey also said: "By taking this role, I am married to it, and I become it.

"Regardless of the task before me, I see it before the prism of a constituent, and also as someone who sets out to resolve the issue at hand."

He continued: "I remember, back in 2019, when I was first appointed as a councillor, and at that time, I remember the discussions about Brexit, and climate change, and I had to upskill my knowledge (on climate change).

"Then, the following year, the Covid-19 pandemic hit us... all of these were life changing issues that past councillors (in the MD) had never had to deal with."

Cllr Heavey praised Kildare County Council for its work during the pandemic, calling the council 'a venerable institution', and compared being a councillor to that of being a rugby player: "If you try to get the ball on your own, you'll be killed, so you need to work as a team (with fellow councillors)."

He also commented on 'one glaring gap' in Newbridge: he said, in his opinion, that there is lack of facilities for young people  for athletics and leisure, echoing comments he made last month at the previous MD meeting.

Concluding his speech, Cllr Heavey said: "I am very honoured to take this role: I feel responsible and confident that we will leave things better than when we found them."

FF Senator Fiona O'Loughlin was also present at the meeting.

Cllr Heavey with his family at the meeting.