Across Louth County Council’s five local electoral districts, there are 77 contenders vying for 29 positions. In the 2019 elections, Fianna Fáil emerged as the primary victor, securing seven seats, an increase from their previous count, while Sinn Féin incurred three losses, including in Drogheda and Dundalk, leaving them with seven seats. Gerry Adams, who was a local TD at the time, suggested that the local dynamics and vote management issues were the reasons behind these losses. With the party’s rise in popularity as evidenced by recent polls, it will be intriguing to see if they can recover the lost ground.
The Labour party claimed three seats during the last elections, a result Ged Nash, currently a TD and formerly a senator, hailed as the party’s best result in the local elections of Louth.
According to the candidates, the main issues being raised by the electorate centre around road infrastructure and housing. A significant number of adults express their inability to leave their parents’ homes due to a lack of affordable housing to buy or rent. Candidates add that the recent High Court dismissal of a judicial review initiated by an environmental group against the Ardee Bypass, along with the condition of tertiary roads, are factors of pivotal importance for voters across the county.
There are 6 seats up for grabs in Ardee, 4 in Drogheda Rural, 6 in both Drogheda Urban and Dundalk – Carlingford, and 7 in Dundalk South.