Boundary changes add to uncertainty in Leixlip area

High-profile candidates in the Kildare local elections include Ms Fionnuala Dukes, wife of Alan, and Mr Emmet Stagg of Labour.

There are 25 county council seats to be won in six electoral areas of Co Kildare. In addition there are elections to the urban district councils in Athy and Naas and Town Commission elections in Leixlip and Newbridge.

The county council electoral areas are Leixlip, Naas, Celbridge, Clane, Athy and Kildare.

Much interest should centre on the county council, especially the Leixlip electoral area, because of boundary revisions. The Labour Party now has three sitting councillors who are seeking a Leixlip area seat.

Mr John McGinley, Mr Colm Purcell and Ms Catherine Murphy, now all of Labour, will be competing against the highly-rated Mr Paul Kelly of Fianna Fail and Mr Senan Griffin of Fine Gael.

The new Celbridge electoral area has three seats. Tipped are Mr Emmet Stagg running for Labour, alongside Mr Gay Boylan (FF) and Ms Kathleen Walsh, a community candidate.

In Clane the four-seater has been divided equally between FF and FG since 1985. This time Mr Liam Doyle (FF) is retiring, as is Mr Sean O'Reilly of Fine Gael. The Fine Gael ticket will comprise Mr Brendan Weld and Mr Jim Reilly. The Fianna Fail team is Mr Seamus Davey, Mr Michael Fitzpatrick and Mr P.J. Sheridan. Three independents and the Labour Party candidate will be hoping to break the status quo.

The Naas area is a five-seater where Labour intends to put up just one candidate, Mr Paddy

McNamara. Mr Billy Hillis or Mr Pat O'Reilly of Fine Gael will be hoping to replace the outgoing Ms Mary French. The Green Party is fielding Ms Louise Burchall and Mr J.J. Power. Fianna Fail has Mr Willie Callaghan, Mr Liam Kelly and Mr Sean Power TD.

Seats on Naas Urban District Council are expected to go to Green or independent candidates.

In Athy there are three seats, with pundits claiming Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour will win one each. There are also urban council elections, and it is thought that independents will do well.

Kildare is a six-seater where Mr Jim Keane will be joining the sitting councillor, Mr Tom Ennis, for Labour. Fine Gael councillor, Mr Michael Nolan, is to be joined on the party ticket by Ms Fionnuala Dukes, who is hoping to retain the seat held by Mr Michael McWey, who has retired. Fine Gael is also fielding a Monasterevin estate agent, Mr Allan Foxe.

Senator John Dardis is standing for the Progressive Democrats, while Fianna Fail will field Ms Breda Connolly, Mr Sean O'Fearghail, Ms Fiona O'Loughlin and Mr John O'Neill. Local sources say two or more of the independents, Mr Francis Browne, Mr Murty Aspell, Mr Seamus Finn and Mr Henry Price, could take seats.

The Leixlip Town Commission elections are likely to be dominated by development issues, with a large section of its population new to the area. In Newbridge among the issues is access to services, which the locals feel have been unfairly concentrated on the north of the county.