Big ambitions for new Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald was nominated as the new chair of the council

Published 29th Jun 2026, 21:55 BST Outgoing Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Cllr Barry Walsh, with the newly elected Cathaoirleach, Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald. Photo: Michael Scully. Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald was nominated as the new chair of the council Sign up to our Laois Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Laois Live within your account.

A new Cathaoirleach has been elected to Laois County Council .

Councillor Catherine Fitzgerald was elected as the new Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council on Monday, June 29.

Cllr Barry Walsh passed on the baton to his fellow Portlaoise councillor who has served on Laois County Council since 1999.

The outgoing Cathaoirleach thanked his fellow councillors, members of the public, and his family for their support throughout the past year as he served as chairperson of the council.

Having attended over 160 events throughout his tenure, Cllr Walsh said it has been a busy and rewarding year for him as well as the county.

Reflecting on the past year, the Ballyroan native said that last week’s official opening of the new Ballyroan playground was the “icing on the cake.”

Sharing his gratitude for the support he received during his time as Cathaoirleach, Cllr Walsh noted that the experience reminded him of why he got involved in politics.

Cllr John Joe Fennelly nominated Cllr Fitzgerald as new Cathaoirleach for Laois County Council.

“Catherine has a wealth of experience in local government and is second to none in everything she goes about. She’s a very strong and positive person. Her involvement here in community projects and sporting organisations throughout the town of Portlaoise is immense,” Cllr Fennelly told the council.

Welcoming the nomination, Cllr Fitzgerald said she was “deeply honoured and sincerely grateful to be elected to Laois County Council.”

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The Fianna Fáil councillor looked forward to the year ahead and highlighted housing, the Portlaoise Northern Orbital Route and a new sports facility for Laois as her main priorities.

“A particular priority for me will be building on the council’s highly successful housing programme, with an increased focus on the delivery of affordable housing across the county. Providing people with access to quality and affordable homes is essential to sustaining communities and ensuring that Laois remains an attractive place to live and work,” Cllr Fitzgerald said.

She added that she will do “everything possible to advance the Portlaoise Northern Orbital Route.”

“This project is critical to the sustainable growth and the development of Portlaoise,” Cllr Fitzgerald argued.

The new Cathaoirleach also emphasised the importance of investing in social, cultural and sports infrastructure in Laois.

“I will be advocating for the council to pursue large scale sport infrastructure funds support to develop a high quality recreational and sports facility in Portlaoise,” Cllr Fitzgerald said.

A new Leas-Cathaoirleach was also elected at the June Laois County Council meeting.

Cllr Paddy Buggy was officially named as Leas-Cathaoirleach after being nominated by his fellow Fine Gael party members Cllr John King and outgoing Cathaoirleach, Cllr Walsh.

Related topics: Cllr Barry Walsh Laois County Council Portlaoise Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald Cllr Paddy Buggy Sign up to our Laois Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Laois Live within your account.