Wexford County Council

Wexford County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Loch Garman) is the local authority of County Wexford, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 34 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a chief executive, currently Eddie Taaffe. The county town is Wexford.

Wexford County Council Comhairle Contae Loch Garman
Type
Type	County council of County Wexford
Leadership
Cathaoirleach	Joe Sullivan, FF
Structure
Seats	34
Political groups	Fianna Fáil (8)   Fine Gael (8)   Wexford Ind. Alliance (5)   Sinn Féin (3)   Labour (2)   Aontú (1)   Independent (7)
Elections
Last election	7 June 2024
Motto
Latin: Exemplar Hiberniae "An example to Ireland"
Meeting place
County Hall, Wexford
Website
Official website

The area governed by the council

History

Wexford County Council was established in statute in 1898 by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. The first meeting of the council was on 22 April 1899.^[1]

From 1899 to 1920, meetings of the county council were held in the Grand Jury room of the old Wexford Courthouse on Commercial Quay.^[2] After the old courthouse burnt down in the Irish War of Independence, a new courthouse was established on the site of the old jail in Hill Street in 1930.^[2][3] The county council relocated to the site in Hill Street at the same time.^[4][5] After the condition of the properties in Hill Street proved inadequate, the county council moved to a modern County Hall in Carricklawn in September 2011^[5] and a modern courthouse was opened on Belvedere Road in 2018.^[6]

In 2014, the Local Government Reform Act 2014 dissolved Enniscorthy Town Council, Gorey Town Council, New Ross Town Council, and Wexford Borough Council. Wexford County Council became the local authority for their areas of jurisdiction.^[7]

Regional Assembly

Wexford County Council has three representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly who are part of the South-East Strategic Planning Area Committee.^[8]

Elections

Members of Wexford County Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).

Year		FF		FG		Lab		SF		Aon		WIA		PBP		Ind	Total
2024	9		8		2		3		1		5		0		6		34
2019	12		9		2		2		1		—		0		8		34
2014	11		9		2		5		—		—		1		6		34
2009	5		10		4		0		—		—		0		2		21
2004	6		7		1		3		—		—		—		4		21
1999	9		8		1		0		—		—		—		3		21
1991	8		8		1		0		—		—		—		4		21
1985	11		6		1		0		—		—		—		3		21

Local electoral areas and municipal districts

County Wexford is divided into LEAs, defined by electoral divisions, for elections to the council.^[9][10] These are grouped into borough and municipal districts for the purpose of local exercising of the powers of the local authority. The municipal district which contains the administrative area of the former borough of Wexford is referred to as a Borough District.^[11]

Municipal district	LEA	Definition	Seats
Enniscorthy		Ballindaggan, Ballycarney, Ballyhoge, Bree, Castledockrell, Enniscorthy Rural, Enniscorthy Urban, Ferns, Kilbora, Killoughrum, Kilrush, Kiltealy, Marshalstown, Moyacomb, Newtownbarry, Rossard, St. Marys, The Leap and Tombrack.	6
Gorey–Kilmuckridge	Gorey	Ardamine, Balloughter, Ballybeg, Ballyellis, Ballylarkin, Ballynestragh, Coolgreany, Courtown, Gorey Rural, Gorey Urban, Huntingtown, Kilcomb, Kilgorman, Kilnahue, Limerick, Monaseed, Rossminoge and Wingfield.	6
	Kilmuckridge	Ballycanew, Ballygarrett, Ballyhuskard, Ballymore, Ballyvaldon, Bolaboy, Cahore, Castle Ellis, Castle Talbot, Edermine, Ford, Kilcormick, Killenagh, Killincooly, Kilmallock, Monamolin, The Harrow, Tinnacross and Wells.	4
New Ross		Adamstown, Ballyanne, Ballyhack, Barrack Village, Barronstown, Carnagh, Carrickbyrne, Castleboro, Clonleigh, Clonroche, Dunmain, Fethard, Horetown, Inch, Kilgarvan, Killann, Killesk, Kilmokea, New Ross Rural, New Ross Urban, Newbawn, Old Ross, Oldcourt, Rathroe, Rochestown, Rosbercon Urban, Templeludigan, Templetown, Tintern, Whitechurch (in the former Rural District of New Ross), Whitechurch (in the former Rural District of Wexford) and Whitemoor.	6
Rosslare		Aughwilliam, Ballymitty, Bannow, Bridgetown, Clongeen, Duncormick, Harperstown, Harristown, Kilcowan, Killag, Killinick, Kilmore, Kilscoran, Ladys Island, Mayglass, Newcastle, Rosslare, St. Helens, Tacumshin, Taghmon and Tomhaggard; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Drinagh and Rathaspick not contained in the local electoral area of Wexford.	5
Borough District of Wexford	Wexford	Ardcavan, Ardcolm, Artramon, Carrick, Forth, Glynn, Kilbride, Killurin, Kilpatrick, Wexford No. 1 Urban, Wexford No. 2 Urban, Wexford No. 3 Urban, Wexford Rural; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Drinagh and Rathaspick to the north of a line drawn as follows: Commencing at the boundary between the electoral divisions of Rathaspick and Wexford Rural at the N25 and then proceeding in a south-easterly direction along the N25 to the roundabout at the junction of the N25 and the R730, and then proceeding along an easterly projection to the boundary between the electoral divisions of Drinagh and Rosslare.	7
Total			34

Councillors

The following were elected at the 2024 Wexford County Council election.

2024 seats summary

Party		Seats
	Fianna Fáil	9
	Fine Gael	8
	Wexford Ind. Alliance	5
	Sinn Féin	3
	Labour	2
	Aontú	1
	Independent	6

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.^[12]

Council members from 2024 election
Local electoral area	Name	Party
Enniscorthy	Cathal Byrne[a]		Fine Gael
	Aidan Browne		Fianna Fáil
	Barbara-Anne Murphy		Fianna Fáil
	John O'Rourke		Independent
	Jackser Owens		Independent
	Pat Kehoe		Fine Gael
Gorey	Donal Kenny		Fianna Fáil
	Nicky Boland		Wexford Ind. Alliance
	Joe Sullivan		Fianna Fáil
	Darragh McDonald		Fine Gael
	Anthony Donohoe		Fine Gael
	Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin[a]		Sinn Féin
Kilmuckridge	Mary Farrell		Independent
	Pip Breen		Fianna Fáil
	Oliver Walsh		Fine Gael
	Paddy Kavanagh		Wexford Ind. Alliance
New Ross	Pat Barden		Wexford Ind. Alliance
	Michael Sheehan[b]		Fianna Fáil
	John Fleming		Fianna Fáil
	Marty Murphy		Wexford Ind. Alliance
	Bridín Murphy		Fine Gael
	John Dwyer		Independent
Rosslare	Jim Codd		Aontú
	Ger Carthy		Independent
	Frank Staples		Fine Gael
	Lisa McDonald		Fianna Fáil
	Aoife Rose O'Brien		Sinn Féin
Wexford	George Lawlor[a]		Labour
	Robbie Staples		Fine Gael
	Garry Laffan		Fianna Fáil
	Leonard Kelly		Independent
	Tom Forde		Sinn Féin
	Raymond Shannon		Wexford Ind. Alliance
	Catherine Walsh		Labour

Notes

1. Replaced during term, see table below for details.
2. Changed party, see table below for details.

Co-options

Party		Outgoing	LEA	Reason	Date	Co-optee
	Sinn Féin	Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin	Gorey	Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election	16 December 2024	Craig Doyle[13]
	Labour	George Lawlor	Wexford	Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election	16 December 2024	Vicky Clancy Barron[14]
	Fine Gael	Cathal Byrne	Enniscorthy	Elected to 27th Seanad at the 2025 Seanad election	31 January 2025	Patricia Byrne[15]

Changes in affiliation

Name	LEA	Elected as		New affiliation		Date
Michael Sheehan	New Ross		Fianna Fáil		Independent	4 November 2024[16]