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WHO WANT 32 councillors will be elected to Wicklow's new-look County Council on May 23. Myles Buchanan, Esther Hayden, Conor William O'Brien and Mary Fogarty profile the candidates who've confirmed they are running and look at the issues affecting the five areas in the county. THE LOCAL and European elections will be held on Friday May 23, forever changing the face of local government in County Wicklow and around the country. Voting will take place that day from

7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the votes to be counted the following day. By the Saturday

night, the new make-up of the new-look County Council will have become apparent. There will be a total of 32 councillors

elected from the five districts of County Wicklow. The Bray electoral area

will have the largest share, with eight seats, while the other four (Arklow, Baltinglass, Greystones and Wicklow)

will have six seats each. A total of 56 candidates had already

formally declared up to last weekend, with a healthy sprinkling of independents

running alongside the representatives of the established parties.

Meanwhile, newer political forces such as Eirigi and People Before Profit

will also be represented in County Wicklow in this year's elections.

Falling by the wayside will be the Town Councils in Bray, Greystones, Wicklow and Arklow, as there are among the eighty town bodies across the country that will be scrapped under the terms of the Local Government

Bill, which will come into force

prior to the elections. The total number of councillors nationwide will fall

by more than 40 per cent as a result, as it drops from 1,627 to 949. The new system also sees some

changes in the traditional electoral area boundaries, with some of the more notable changes in Wicklow being the transfer of the Carnew/Shillelagh

area from Arklow into Baltinglass, and Rathdrum's move from the

Wicklow electoral area into Arklow. One of the other main planks in the

Bill is likely to lead to sweeping changes in how commercial rates are calculated and how much businesses are actually charged every year.

Under the current local government system, each local authority is entitled

to set its own commercial rate. But from 2015, a countywide commercial

rate is to be introduced: a potentially divisive move aimed at levelling

the playing field, but one which could see some areas paying less than they do now, and some paying more. Every person aged 18 years and over

is entitled to vote in the local elections on the day, but only Irish and

European citizens may vote in the Euro poll. There are 3.25 million local government

and European electors on the current register, which came into

force on February 15. Minister Phil Hogan has encouraged people to check the new register and to apply at the earliest opportunity to be included

on the supplementary register if their name has been omitted. Application forms will need to be

received by the registration authority on or before April 26. In the European elections, the Leinster

constituency is being scrapped, with Counties Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow,

and Kilkenny moving into 'Ireland South', along with the six Munster counties. The number of seats is

being increased from three to four as a result.

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20 ffjM ir People Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Wicklow CANDIDATES IN the Wicklow Electoral Area are likely to come across a wide range of issues on the doorsteps as they set out on the canvas trail in the coming months. The failure too attract a major industry or

new business to the area for some time will be

one of the most pressing issues. Unemployment still remains high and may people living

in the area and fortunate enough to have jobs still have to endure a daily commute to Dublin and back. Wicklow town's continued downgrading as

the County Town is also another issue which will need to be addressed. Since the last local elections Wicklow town has lost its hospital, the district courthouse has closed and the head VEC offices moved to Kildare. None-the-less

there have been some recent improvements, most noticeably the outdoor gym, playground and skatepark to be constructed at The Murrough. Towns and villages throughout the east of

Wicklow have experienced the worst of the recession first hand and empty business premises

and buildings remain an all-too-common sight. The announcement that MSD would be closing

is a further blow as the plant was one of

the last big employers. 280 people are set to lose their jobs. The availability of social housing also

remains a problem with the waiting list growing all the time.

There have also been complaints over the pace at which vacant local authority housing is made available to new tenants. The main parties could also find themselves

losing out as voters express their anger over the Household Charge and water rates.

7

Y*

Malcolm Earls FINE GAEL Malcolm Earls is a sitting Wicklow Town Councillor, having run for the first time at the last elections. He is from Wicklow town and married to Margaret with three children

- Vicky, Emer and Aaron.

Malcolm is heavily involved in local community organisations. He is a member

of the Wicklow Tidy Towns Committee, Chairman

of the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee, a member

of the Wicklow Regatta Committee and the Sailfest Committee. He was also involved in the Wicklow Healthy Town initiative.

For over 30 years, he was a member of Wicklow Rovers FC and was first team coach and schoolboys coach. He is the current Mayor of Wicklow town, the last person to hold the title prior to the abolishment of Wicklow Town Council.

Gail Dunne FIANNA FAIL Gail Dunne is married with a young family. He ran for Wicklow Town Council and Wicklow County Council at the last elections, successfully

securing a Town Council seat. He is well known for his

involvement with St. Patrick's GAA Club and is the current senior squad manager. He has led the side to championship success

in the past. He is the Chairman of the

Wicklow Burial Board and is involved iri a number of sports and community activities.

He is also a member of Our Lady of Fatima Boxing Ctub and has assisted the local rowing club, boxing club and Wicklow Rovers FC,

% Anna Doyle PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT Anna Doyle of People Before Profit will be running in her first election on May 23. The married mother of four is from Ashford has been a member of the party for the past three years. Anna used to be Vice-Chairperson

of Wicklow Educate Together and was a volunteer

worker in the second hand school bookshop down at The Murrough. She actively campaigned

against the household charge and water rates and was also a part of the 'Save Our Trees' campaign to protect

Coillte owned land from being sold.

She also led a petition which received 125 signatures

against plans to place a cycle route along the pedestrian Leitrim Bridge in Wicklow town.

Pat Casey FIANNA FAIL Cllr. Pat Casey is a current member of Wicklow County Council. He runs the Glendalough

Hotel, which has been the family business since the 1960s.

Pat ran as an independent in the 2004 local elections and secured a! place on Wicklow County Council with more than 900 votes. By the 2009 election he had joined Fianna Fail and was re-elected with over 1,500 votes.

He was also many people's choice within the party

to run at the last general election but Dick Roche was selected ahead of him.

Pat played an instrumental part in establishing the Brockagh Resource Centre. He is also involved in a number

of community groups and initiatives such as the Glendalough Development Association as well as local soccer and GAA clubs.

Michael Mulvihill INDEPENDENT Michael Mulvihill intends to run in the local elections to rubber stamp his role in the community. He has been married for 28 years. He has also been heavily involved in the electronics industry for over 30 years.

Michael lives in Roscath, Glenealy and ran as an independent

in the last General Election.

He is one of the founding members of Meals and Wheels and Wicklow Motor Yacht Club. He is also a founding member of the Singing Santas who raise money for charitable organisations

each Christmas in Wicklow.

Michael campaigned against the household charge and water rates and started a petition which was handed over to the Government.

Pat Kavanagh

ST Gllr. Pat Kavanagh is a sitting Town Councillor who will be running as an independent. She was elected to Wicklow Town Council in 2009 as a member of the Greens but let the party in 2010 after voicing her disapproval of their policies while in Government

From Wicklow town, she is the founder of Wicklow Men's Shed. She is also a director and member of the committee which refurbished

the Parochial hall to provide a badly needed community hali and youth cafe.

Pat is also a committee member of Friends of the Murrough and was responsible

for the wild flower display on the Murrough. She is

a founding member of Wicklow Film Club which is now

in its sixth year.

Paul O'Brien LABOUR Paul O'Brien will be Labour's sole candidate in the Wicklow

district in the upcoming elections, which will be the first he has contested.

Paul is Chairman of the Irish Soccer Referees Society

(Wicklow Branch), a role he has held for the past 11 years.

He has refereed for 19 years all over County Wicklow.

He also has close connections with Wicklow Swimming though his family and

having been a past member. Paul decided to seek a

nomination to run in the Local Elections because he is keen to make a contribution

to the local east Wicklow community where he and his entire family were bom and bred.

Sean DM81 Sean Doyle lives in Kilpedder

and will be running for

The married father of four is originally from Newcastle. He is a staunch supporter of Newcastle GAA Club, where his three sons play. Sean has been involved in

politics most of his life. He was a member of Official Sinn Fein in the late 1960s and is also a former member of the Irish Republican Socialist Party. He has also been a member of the Costello Memorial Committee

since 1977. Sean has been involved in

numerous campaigns and committees down through the years, including an antihousehold

charge campaign and an anti-eviction

campaign in Newcastle and Newtownmountkermedy.

Daire Nolan INDEPENDENT Daire Nolan is the youngest candidate in the east Wicklow

constituency at only 25 years of age.

He is running independently and is the son of

Robert and Geraldine Nolan who run Newtownmountkennedy

Post Office. Daire also works in the post office and so would be familiar with everyone in the locality and the area's main issues.

He remains heavily involved with Newtownmountkennedy

GAA Club and was club secretary for a number of years. He is also a member of the Newtownmountkennedy

Community Centre Committee as well.

Daire hopes that he will be able to engage with younger as he will be a new face with fresh ideas whom they can relate to.

Shay Cullen FINE GAEL This will be Shay Cullen's first time contesting a local efection.

He joins Cllr. Irene Winters and Cllr. Malcolm Earls on the Fine Gael ticket having been selected at the Fine Gael Convention for Wicklow

East. Shay grew up in Roundwood

and currently lives in Newtownmountkennedy. He has been involved in sport all his life and is former county

footballer. He still remains a member of An Tochar GAA Club.

He currently works for local company Glen Fuels and is also a member of the local Agricultural Committee.

He also has membership of various other local

committees and organisations, including the Roundwood Community Council.

John Snell SINN FEIN This will be Cllr. John Snell's second time running in the local elections, having landed

a seat on Wicklow County Council at the first time of

asking in 2009. The Sinn Fain man is

heavily involved in local activities in Rathnew, both sporting and otherwise. He has a long association with Rathnew GAA Club and is their current development officer. He is also a member of Rathnew AFC.

He sits on the board of ant of St.

Joseph's National School Bid is a founding member of the Rathnew Village Active Forum. He sits on the County

Council Strategic Policy Group for Housing and on the Joint Policing Commrtber

of the Wicklow/Rathnew Burial

3.

Paul Leahy GREEN PARTY Paul Leahy of Brittas Bay is a married father of one with two grandchildren, and he will be running for the Green Party.

Paul is the Secretary of Wicklow Greens and Environment

(IEN) representative on the Environmental

and Water Services Strategic Policy Committee of

Wicklow County Council. Paul is also Environment (IEN) representative on County Wicklow Partnership Leader Company. As Chair of Brittas Bay

Coastcare Group, Paul has raised awareness of environmental

protection of the coastline from erosion, litter and bio-diversity loss. Paul is passionate about issues in his local area and is also Secretary of Wicklow Oral History Network. He previously as an independent

in the 2004 elections.

Irene Winters FINE GAEL Cllr. Irene Winters topped the poll for Fine Gael at the 2009 local elections for Wicklow Town Council and finished second by a narrow margin in the County Council

elections, having received 1,736 first preference votes. From Wicklow town, Irene

is a member of Wicklow Cancer Support and the Wicklow and District Lions. She has also supported and worked on behalf of all the annual festivals and events which take place in the town.

She is also a former Mayor of Wicklow town.

Jimmy O'Shaughnessy INDEPENDENT Cllr. Jimmy O'Shaughnessy

still has to decide wether he will run in the Wicklow or Arklow Electoral

Area. Boundary changes mean his native Rathdrum is now part of the Arklow Electoral Area and the current Cathaoirleach

of Wicklow County Council may even decide to run in both constituencies.

Jimmy topped the poll in 2009 but has since left the Labour party over their policies while in Government.

This election sees him run as an independent

after 20 years in Labour. He is the vicechair

of the Rathdrum Development Association and sits on the Governing Body of Carlow IT. He is also a member of Avondale

Hurling and Camogie Clubs and spent close to 40 years as a referee.

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Arklow AS ELECTION hopefuls press the flesh in theArklow area, they are likely to come under fire as the electorates grow more and more disillusioned. It is likely that not all canidates have yet

declared and so it is envisaged that the coming weeks will see a rise in their numbers, particularly

among independents, minority or emerging parties. Two veteran Independent town

councillors, Nicky Kelly and Vincent McElheron, said they hadn't fully made up their

minds yet about running, but both cited health concerns as a major impediment to them contesting

the election. With the changes in election boundary, Ark¬

low is in for some major changes this time out and will see an increased number of councillors

representing the district - rising from the current number of five to six. However, with areas such as Tinahely and Carnew now gone to the Baltinglass electoral area, there's sure to be a shake-up. The controversial one-way system

and the subsequent changes will surely be a massive issue for people regardless of which side of the debate the voter is on and the cost factor, in such straitened times, will no doubt raise the hecklers of voters. On the hustings, one of the biggest problems will be unemployment

and lack of investment in a town that was once thriving. The dismal number of IDA visits to Wicklow

last year is also sure to be a sticking point. The lack of local spin-off from the Rathnew/Arklow upgrade may also rear its head particularly given the unemployment levels in the area.

Baltinglass A NUMBER of issues have reared their head in West Wicklow in recent times that local representatives

will be striving to address over the coming term. Perhaps foremost amongst these is the ongoing pylon controversy. Eirgrid intends to link its power stations in

Cork and Kildare via a 400kv powerline, the route for which has yet to be decided. Two of the proposed corridors cut through

the western portion of County Wicklow, and so local activists and politicians have been campaigning

vigorously to ensure that the powerline does not take either of these routes when

construction commences in 2016. Similarly, the issue of windfarms has been of

growing concern to some local residents in recent years, and a matter that has proven contentious

at local government level. West Wicklow is seen by some as an ideal location for

wind farming, but concerns have been raised about the negative implications wind farms can have on the landscape, health and the value of properties (much the same issues affected by pylons). As such, the topic of wind warms in the constituency is likely to see further

public debate over the coming year. Like the rest of the country, unemployment

has hit West Wicklow hard, with the building sector faring particularly poorly. Measures to reduce unemployment over the coming years will be critical, as youth unemployment in the region - in keeping with the rest of the county and Ireland as a whole - remains high, inducing

emigration that has decimated small communities in the western parts of Wicklow.

Sylvester Bourke FINE GAEL Sylvester Bourke is a well known councillor in the Arklow area, having served both on Arklow Town Council and Wicklow

County Council. He was elected to Wicklow

County Council in 1999 and has been elected

to the council since then, and he also served on Arklow Town Council from 2004 until 2009. A full-time farmer, Sylvester doesn't come from a political background

but was always involved in Fine Gael and prior to being elected had worked locally with a number of groups in the area. He is heavily involved in the IFA. Married to Elizabeth, they have three children and live in Love Lane, Arklow.

Pat Fitzgerald Fianna Fail's Pat Fitzgerald

is no stranger to the electorate, having first been elected to Arklow Town Council in 1999. He has continued to serve on the town council since that t ime. In 2009 he threw his hat into the ring for Wickiow County Council in the Arktow

area winning a seat for the party. He has also been a General Section candidate. Married to Gorey woman Veronica, the couple have five children: two daughters

and three sons. Originally from St. Peter's

Place, Arklow Peter and his family now five in Oaktands.He

is chairman of Arklow Community College

Board of Management.

Miriam Murphy INDEPENDENT Arklow Town councillor Miriam Murphy is hoping to gain a seat on Wicklow County Council in her first outing for the county body. Elected to Arklow Town Council in 2009, Miriam who was born and reared on the Wexford Road in Arklow town - doesn't come from a political background at all. However since dipping her toe into political waters has proven a strong voice. She contested

the 2009 election so that she could be at the decision-making table and her motivation for seeking a county council seat is the same. Miriam now lives in Avondale Crescent with husband Paul Madigan.

Pat K FIANNA FAIL First time candidate Pat Kennedy from Greenane. Rathdum has a wealth of community expertise behind him. He is well known for his work with the community playground

and outdoor gym in Rathdrum as well as the Ballinacor community project. Married to Helena who is a teacher in the local school in Rathdrum the couple have three sons, the youngest of whom is due to sit his Leaving Cert, in June. The community activist has worked closely with elderly groups in Rathdrum

and the surrounding areas over the past 20 years and said that Rathdrum

district needs strong representation in the council.

\ m.\ Jim Buttle INDEPENDENT The longest-serving councillor

currently representing West Wicklow, Jim

Ruttle is from Manor Kilbride and was first elected

to the council in 1985, having been previously elected as a senator in 1980. During his tenure on the council, priorities of his have included preserving the rural community and advancing education. He currently serves as chairman

of St. Kevin's Community College in

Dunlavin and Blessington Community College. He is a director of County Wicklow

Partnership and recently played an active role in the campaign to keep windfarms out of Manor Kilbride. He is married

to Kathryn and has two sons.

Pat Doran A native of Ballyellis in County Wexford. Pat Doran has resided in: the Tomacork area of Carnew since 1970, upon returning

to Ireland after 11 years in the UK. A farmer by livelihood, he was first elected to Wicklow County

Council in 1985 He has since become involved in numerous community activities and initiatives, serving as Chairman of Carnew Community Care as welt as treasurer of South Wickiow Hospice Home Care. This is his first time to run in the Baltinglass

district, following the re-drawing of electoral boundaries. Pat is married to Mary and has five children

and 13 grandchil-

- Aidan Kinsella SINN FEIN From Carnew, Aidan Kinsella

has been a Sinn Fein representative in his local area for a number of years. He is a lifelong resident

of the area, having attended Scoil Aodan Naofa and Colaiste Bhride before being employed in the construction industry. Because of this, he is acutely aware of the challenges

facing this particular sector. In addition to

jobs, a shortage of social housing and the possibility

of pylons being erected through the area are other factors that compelled him to stand in the coming election, in addition to providing

a fresh face and strong voice for his locality.

Aidan is married to Mary and has four young children.

Gerry O'Neill SINN FEIN A self-employed sign maker, Gerry resides in Blessington with his wife Cathy and their five children.

He has long played an active part in local life, being a founding member of the Blessington Boxing Club in 1981 (for which he helped secure a €25,000 grant last year) as well as co-founding the Blessington

Residents Association (now the Blessington & District Forum, in which he is an active member). He is a former chairman of Lacken GAA Club and led the campaign to keep Crooksling Hospital open, as well as assisting in setting

up community alert services for Blessington and Kilbride.

Mary McDonald SINN FEIN Having just returned home from a three and a half year stint in Australia Arklow town woman Mary McDonald was so disillusioned

by the negative changes in the town she decided to run for election.

Mary, nee Lambert, is a native of Harbour Road but following her marriage to James the couple moved to St. Michael's Terrace where they raised their son John. When the couple were both faced with unemployment

in late 2009 they decided to move to Australia

where they had family to try their luck there.

While in Australia Mary trained in pathology and received her nursing diploma.

Tom Curran INDEPENDENT A long time resident of South Wicklow, Tom Curran

has risen to national prominence over the last few years as the partner of the late right-to-die campaigner

Marie Fleming, and has himself become a noted campaigner for the right to die and a champion

of carer's rights. He believes that the skills he has gained in helping Marie's case over the years can now be put to great use for the benefit of the residents of South Wicklow. As well as his passion for healthcare, he also hopes to secure greater investment in the area as well as see community

groups play a more active role in decision

making at local government level.

Peter Dempsey FINE GAEL Peter Dempsey joined Fine Gael last year after over a decade of sitting as an independent on Arklow Town Council, and was selected by the party (in addition to Sylvester Bourke) to contest the forthcoming elections. A lifelong Arklow resident, Peter worked at the local Shanks factory for over 20 years as well as owning Abbey Stores on Abbey Street. He has long played an active role in the local community, being involved in a number of local GAA and soccer clubs. Peter served as Mayor of Arklow in 2013 and is actively involved in the local fishing community-

Tommy Annesley FIANNA FAIL Trader Tommy Annesley has held a seat on Arklow Town Council since 2009 and this is his second time in the fray in the county council elections. Hailing from a long line of shop keepers Tommy doesn't come from a political

background although since elected five years ago has been very much to the fore on the ground in Arklow. Tommy is married to Vanessa Ormond from Avoca and the couple live together with their two children, TJ (14) and Orla (12) on the Dublin Road in Arklow.

Edward Timmins FINE GAEL Edward Timmins was born and raised in Baltinglass

and works in Blessington. Married with a 13year-old daughter, he lives

in Grangecon. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and an Engineering

Graduate of Trinity College Dublin. He was elected to Wicklow County

Council in 2004. He is a member of the planning policy committee

and the audit committee of Wicklow County

Council, as well as active in the Wicklow-Kildare VEC and the Chairman of the Wicklow-Kildare VEC Audit committee. His main areas of concern are reducing the Council's waste of public money and improving efficiencies

Tommy Cullen INDEPENDENT Baltinglas man Tommy Cullen has taken a keen interest in local issues for over thirty years and has represented the locality on Wicklow County Council

for many years. He served as chairman of the save Glen Ding Hill & Woods Committee, which

in preserving the forested area near Blessington, as well as championing the fight against illegal dumping and helped secure an improved water supply for Baltinglass and Blessington.

He also campaigned to save Baltinglas Hospital and chaired the Wicklow County Council Housing Committee, during which time he helped secure a lot of new houses for his constituency.

Vincent Blake FINE GAEL A long time employee of the Irish Fertiliser Industry (IFI) Vincent Blake has been working in politics since its closure over a decade ago. A resident of Tinahely, he is actively involved in a range of local organisations such as Tinahely GAA Club and the Tinahely Development Association, which has been integral to the delivery

of a number of walk ways and a new playground

for the area. He is also a member of County Wicklow Partnership, and over the course of his political career to date been a champion of disability

and elderly-related issues, something which he intends to maintain if elected to represent West Wicklow.

Joe McCormac FIANNA FAIL A reside sington for the last 13 years, Joe

local elections in 2004. Since settling in Blessington

he has long played an active role in the community,

setting up the Blessington Abbey Residents

Association back in 2001 as well as being a founding

member of the Blessington Community Council

andForum. He runs the Maxol Service Station in Blessington, and says that business is a key interest of his, eager as he is to he invest-

st Wicklow. Centra! be the establir Cham¬ ber of C in the area, something he hopes to become involved in if elected.

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Bray AS 14 candidates battle it out for eight seats in the Bray, Kilmacanogue and Enniskerry area, there may be a few surprises in the coming election. Bray and its environs have traditionally been

fickle when it comes to party allegiances.

Some areas of the town are fiercely loyal to the likes of Sinn Fein and Labour while others throw their hat in with Fianna Fail or Fine Gael depending on the climate. Independents can do very well in the area,

with links to schools and other positive histories in the town a big bonus.

The major issues on the doorsteps will be job creation, water charges and the property tax, despite the fact that these are national issues in many ways. These issues could have an

impact on Government parties though. However there are strong candidates across the board

so it's difficult at this point to see where the difference will be made between seats or none. Homelessness is a sensitive issue in Bray, following

two high profile deaths on the streets in the town in recent years. Candidates are likely to hear about this as they canvass. The stalled flood protection works on the

Dargle continue to trouble locals, who fear their homes face damage of hurricane Charley

proportions if this is not dealt with. Many candidates and sitting councillors have said the

'Florentine Centre' site in the centre of Bray is a priority. The housing list in County Wicklow is swelling so many will be wondering what their councillors will do about that. Positive initiatives for Bray have been high

on the agenda in recent years so along with problems to be solved, the candidates will be promising a continuance of festivals, job creation

initiatives and enterprise projects.

Catherine Kennedy INDEPENDENT A resident of Oldcourt, Catherine Kennedy has run for office on previous occasions. Catherine's background is in campaigning on a wide range of issues such as fire safety, women's rights, suicide

prevention, housing and poverty. Kennedy ran for Bray Town Council in 2004 with the Socialist Workers Party, and in 2009 with Sinn Fein. She ran for the 29th Dail in 2002. Her mother Brigid Hannon was a Bray UDC Chairperson. It was the anti-apartheid struggle which first inspired Catherine to activism when she was a teenager. She graduated from Trinity College in 2009 with BA (mod) in sociology and social policy.

Ronan McManus LABOUR Ronan was first elected to Bray Town Council in 2009 and became Cathaoirleach of the body in 2011. His parents are former councillor John McManus and former TD Liz McManus. A Bray native, he said that he has witnessed many changes in the town in his lifetime. His priority during his time as a councillor has been getting people back to work. McManus said that opening

the Bray Design Centre and the small business incubator in the civic offices were major achievements. He is currently a member of the Flood Defense Scheme Environmental Monitoring Committee.

Mick Glynn

; Mick Glynn was first elected to Bray Town Council

and Wicklow County Council in 2009. He lives in The Headlands on Putland Road with his wife Ciara and their children

and has served a year as Cathaoirleach of Bray Town Council. Before setting out his policies

prior to the election he has asked people to go on to his website and let him know what is important to them 'no matter how big, small or crazy the idea.'

Oliver O'Brien Oliver is a teacher at St. Fergai's Senior School in Bray where he has taught for over 30 years. He is also the chairperson of the Fergal Og's GAA club in Bray. O'Brien said that contesting

the election is taking on a new challenge. The issue which drove him to take the decision to put his name forward was cuts in education. He said that being on the front line, he knows how cuts to education will impact on children.

John Ryan FINE GAEL John Ryan was elected to Wicklow County Council in 2004 and Bray Town Council

in 2009. The Ardmore Lawn man is married to Kelly and is a past chairman of Bray Summerfest. They have three children and John is the CEO of the company'Great

Place to Work.' He was Cathaoirleach of Bray Town Council in 2009 and his initiatives included Bray Economic Think Tank, and the removal of hoarding from Bray Main Street.

John Brady SINN FEIN John Brady lives in Kilbride Grove with his wife Gayle and their children. John is on Bray Town Council and Wicklow County Council. He was elected to Bray Town Council in 2004 and both Bray Town and Wicklow

County Council in 2009. He is active across a broad range of community issues including the fire service, littering, housing and more. He said that he wants to continue the work he has been doing over the past 10 years.

Sarah Wray FINE GAEL Sarah Wray was one of seven new councillors elected to Bray Town Council in the last election. She is currently the LeasCathaoirleach

for Bray Town Council. Sarah is married to Tim and has three young children. She is Chairperson of the Bray Litter Task Force as well as the Municipal Policy

committee (MPC) for Community, Cultural, Social and Environmental Issues. Sarah's professional experience

was gained in the front line of the health service

working as a general nurse in Dublin.

Steven Matthews GREEN PARTY Steven Matthews was coopted

on to Bray Town Council in 2007 to replace Deirdre de Burca who became a senator. However Matthews did not retain his seat in the 2009 election. He has been an electrician at Irish Rail for 25 years and holds a BSc in Planning

& Environmental Management from DIT. He is Chairperson of Wicklow Green Party and a founder of Bray Cyclists Forum. Steven is also the Environment

Representative in Bray Town Council Planning

and Infrastructure MPC and has had an active involvement in Bray Tidy Towns, Coastcare and An Taisce.

m .

**

m Sfcr Pat Vance FINNA FAIL Pat Vance is a veteran councillor on Bray Town Council and Wicklow County Council. He was first elected to Wicklow County Council in 1991 and Bray Town Council

in 1999. A resident of Putland Road in Bray along with his wife Mary, Pat runs a shoe repair business in the centre

of the town. Local enterprise will be his focus, with a particular emphasis on town centre development and the future of the Florentine Centre site. He will also concentrate on the provision

of social housing.

Sharon Briggs PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT Activist Sharon Briggs will be running in this year's elections for People Before Profit. One of the issues which the Sugarloaf Crescent woman will be championing

is the closure of the 24-hour A&E facility at Loughlinstown Hospital. She said that she will tackle

many other issues which cause hardship to the ordinary

people of Bray including rent increases and

social housing.

David Grant FINNA FAIL A native of Little Bray who later moved to the Ballywaltrim

area, Cllr. Grant is currently on Wicklow County Council and Bray Town Council. He said that this election is important for the future of the town as Wicklow County

Council will be the sole local authority for Bray. He has served on Bray Town Council for four terms. He was the youngest councillor to be elected to local government

in Ireland in 1994 when he first took a seat on Bray Town Council in 1994. He is a former Chairman of Fergal 6gs GAA club and has managed GAA juvenile inter-county teams. He is also involved in soccer, the arts community in Wicklow and is Chairman of Ballywaltrim

Community Centre.

Christopher Fox INDEPENDENT Christopher Fox was coopted

on to Wicklow County Council to replace his sister Mildred in 2004. An election followed soon after in which he retained his seat. He did so once again in 2009. Fox knew what he was taking

on when he entered politics as his late father Johnny Fox was a TD who entered politics as a young man. The issues which he is concentrating on include concentrating on the new arrangements of the municipal authority, housing,

opposing water charges and property charges as well as helping individual clients and representing

them at council level.

Tracy O'Brien LABOUR Tracy is the current Cathaoirleach of Bray Town Council. She is from Dargle Heights in Fassaroe and is married to Kieran (Tarzan) O'Brien, the former

Bray Wanderers star player. They have three children and Tracy has always been active in the local area, having run the community games within St. Peter's Parish. She is also involved with the parents' association on both St. Peter's and Ravenswell. Her priorities include jobs and services and to tackle litterl Her mother Anne Egan is a former Bray Town Councillor

and was also Cathaoirleach of the council.

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Eugene Finnegan INDEPENDENT Eugene Finnegan was first elected to Bray Town Council in 2009. He owns a private bus company in the town. He is a director of Bray Tourism and Wicklow Tourism and a member of the County Development Board. Finnegan supports job promotion and encouraging

enterprise within the town.