Nine seats, 18 candidates. The date for nominations now past, local election aspirants can look forward to polling day on Friday, June 7, as constituents within the Athlone-Moate Municial District cast their votes choosing the elected representatives they deem best suited to represent the electoral area for the next five year term.
Polling centres within the Athlone-Moate Muncipal District will open at 7am on June 7, constituents casting their respective votes to choose five councillors in the Athlone electoral, while four councillors will be elected to represent the Moate electoral area.
Hoping to retain their elected representative status, the nine councillors currently representing the Athlone-Moate Municipal District have once again opted to have their name on the ballot paper on June 7.
The Athlone-Moate Municipal District is represented by four Fianna Fáil councillors, namely, Cllr Frankie Keena, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke, Cllr Vinny McCormack and Cllr Liam McDaniel, two Fine Gael councillors, Cllr John Dolan and Cllr Tom Farrell, one Labour Party councillor, Cllr Johnny Penrose, one Green Party councillor, Cllr Louise Heavin and one Independent Ireland councillor, Cllr Paul Hogan (who was co-opted to fill the casual vacancy in the civic chamber upon the decision taken by Cllr Jamie Moran to step down in 2022 ).
All sitting councillors will be hoping that their impact within the Athlone-Moate Municipal District upon their election in May 2019 will be reflected by the voting constituents at the polls when the count concludes.
Athlone Electoral Area
The five sitting councillors in the Athlone electoral area - Cllr Frankie Keena, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke, Cllr John Dolan, Cllr Louise Heavin and Cllr Paul Hogan, will face competition from six local election hopefuls on polling day.
Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran who lost his Dáil Éireann seat at the 2020 general election, is striving for a return to the council chamber as an Independent having being a member of Westmeath County Council until his election to Leinster House in 2016. Carrickobrien resident and race horse trainer, Tom Cleary, will also contest the election on June 7 as an Independent candidate.
Sinn Féin will have no name on the Athlone electoral area ballot paper, Conor Dowling Linehan representing the political party on polling day.
Ruairi Keyes will represent Fine Gael, while former councillor Ray Lennon will be hoping to secure one of the five seats available for the Labour Party.
First time local election aspirant, Catrina O’Donohoe is The Irish Freedom Pary’s representative on the ballot paper on June 7.
Moate Electoral Area
The four sitting councillors in the Moate electoral area, Cllr Tom Farrell, Cllr Liam McDaniel, Cllr Vinny McCormack and Cllr Johnny Penrose will hope to retain their respective seats, four additional candidates set to feature on the ballot paper when the casting of votes takes pace.
Representing the Independent Ireland Party, Castletown Geoghegan resident, Cllr Paul Hogan has also opted to contest the Moate electoral area (his name also featuring on the Athlone electoral ballot paper ).
Moate native, Michael O’Brien, who lost his councillor status as an Independent candidate in 2019, will be hoping for a more positive outcome when the votes are totted following polling day.
The Sinn Féin Party will be represented by John Lawlor, while the Irish Freedom Party has selected Shane Lynam as their candidate in the Moate electoral area as they strive for a first time seat in the Municipal District.
Pollincg centres in both the Athlone and Moate electoral areas will open at 7am on Friday, June 7, closing to voting constituents at 10pm.
