Sinn Féin's newest councillor in Kildare is a familiar face
Cllr Noel Connolly, following his second co-option onto Kildare County Council.
AS an interested onlooker in Punchestown in November at the general election count, watching the woman who took his council seat only five months previously now take a Dáil seat, The asked former councillor Noel Connolly if he would be interested in being co-opted for a second time.
In a true sense of egalitarianism Noel said he wouldn’t.
He said: “It was a woman in the seat, it should be a woman who continues.”
He voiced a personal preference for Joanne Pender.
However, when the party came knocking neither Ms Pender or any other female candidate declared an interest in taking up the seat left vacant by the elevation of Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (SF) to Merrion Road.
So, on 11 December it became a straight shootout between TCD Student Liasion Officer Cillian Brennan, who had unsuccessfully ran in the June locals for the Clane-Maynooth District, and the ever-dependable Noel Connolly.
The party faithful of the Newbridge-Kildare Municipal District (MD) decided to go with the one they knew, and so Noel Connolly took on the distinction of being the first person to be co-opted onto Kildare County Council twice – having done so first in March 2020, after Patricia Ryan went up to the Dáil the month before.
Since his return, Noel had his first MD meeting last Tuesday (14 January), and the spoke to him in its aftermath, and reminded him of his Punchestown declaration.
“No women came forward, and when in discussion, said they felt they didn’t have the experience now, but maybe in the future,” said cllr Connolly.
Noel (48) works as a Housing Officer for the housing charity Threshold, and is also a union official.
“They have offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick, but I work mainly from home,” he said.
Noel originally comes from The Ward in rural north Dublin and came to Kildare for a 21st in 1995 when he was 18 where he met Olive.
“I married Olive (a nurse), the local farmer’s daughter. We have three kids and live in Lackagh,” he explained.
“I worked for farmers when I was young, I know the graft when it comes to farming."
And as to his political ambitions?
“Locally, we live in a very rural area, with lots of little roads. I’d like to see improvements in the local roads because there’s very few pull-ins."
He added: “We’ve a great community out here, over a 1,000 people, Ellistown is the local GAA, it’s a great club, but we don’t have a community centre. I would aim to try to get that into the County Development Plan (CDP) and begin funding plans."
“I doubt we’d get it built in five years, but I would like to see it in the CDP , get the funding applications in and the feasibility studies done, and hopefully have it built in the next cycle of the Council,” he predicted.
“I’d be confident we’d get a good buy-in from all the other councillors.
“It’s a rural area, with a vibrant community with nowhere to gather, so I would have the conversation with the other members.
“We’re also in the parish of Monasterevin, so I’m going to work on the dereliction on both sides of Dublin Street.
“I would like to see the housing in The Maltings behind the church, and their recent application was successful, so these will be more much-needed homes."
He added: “The council also has plans for new sports grounds behind the new school with the help of Moore Abbey.
“Also, the soccer club needs to find a new home, and that’s just Monasterevin.
“In Rathangan, the council have initiated a CPO on the old garda station.
“The OPW have owned it for a number of years and did nothing.
“It has a lovely big back garden, and it would be perfect as an aged living facility, like McAuley Place, where people could grow old in the town.
“Newer facilities for the elderly are usually out in rural locations, and you’d need to be able to drive.
“You should be able to walk to the shops."
He concluded: “Finally, on a broader note, I would like to see Kildare as a welcoming place for people fleeing war and persecution, and work towards national unity, and to promote the Irish language."
