The contest for the 40 positions in the Meath county council has 92 contenders dispersed across six municipal districts. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael (each holding 12 spots), and independent councillors (with 10 spots) largely held sway in the previous council.
One highlight from the last campaign was Fine Gael’s Yemi Adenuga, who made nationwide news, as Ireland’s first elected black female councillor. The party hopes that the addition of Luba Healy to their ticket in Trim, will boost chances, owing to her well-publicised journey across Europe to save her mother and grandmother amidst the war in Ukraine.
The contesters have identified key issues on the ground, including the need for community facilities, parks and playgrounds, alongside traffic and speed complaints. The call to fix potholes and assorted road damages in residential areas, especially those caused by persistent rainfall, is also a priority. There is a growing concern over antisocial behaviour, unnecessary delays due to road and water supply repairs, and a struggle with traffic limit adherence in smaller towns. Housing concerns are also a hot issue, with parents particularly apprehensive about their children’s inability to secure grants or secure mortgage approval due to their income range.
Campaigners have found that while homeowners are receiving campaign leaflets, few are showing active engagement, which they fear might signify a low attendance on election day.
Sinn Féin hopes to regain the numbers lost after a disappointing 2019 election, which saw them lose five incumbent councillors. However, the emergence of the Aontú party, founded by former local Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín, might create further impediment. Notably, Emer, Peadar’s sister, clinched a position in Navan just months after the party’s establishment.
The seats up for grabs in the county council are distributed as: Ashbourne has 6 seats, Kells, Laytown-Bettystown, Navan, and Ratoath each have 7 seats, while Trim has 6 seats.