Two out of the next local elections!

By Dan Walsh

It was a week of shocks in local politics when two of Wexford County Council’s most prominent members, Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan (Fine Gael) and Cllr Maura Bell (The Labour Party), both confirmed that they will not be contesting the 2024 elections to Wexford County Council.

Cllr Codd-Nolan was first elected for Fine Gael in the Enniscorthy Municipal District in 2004 and has retained her seat since. She created her own piece of history when she became the first woman to serve a full term of Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council and was also Leas-Chathaoirleach in 2012-2013.

Cllr Codd-Nolan who lives in Ballycarney served as Cathaoirleach of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council on three occasions. He reason for bowing out of politics comes under the heading of spending more time with her family and relieving the pressure on her time as a serving public representative.

Cllr Bell was first elected to Wexford County Council in 2019 and had the honour of becoming only the fourth woman ever to be elected Mayor of Wexford in the Borough’s 700-year history following in the footsteps of Avril Doyle (1975), Helen Corish Wylde (1990) and Philomena Roche (2006).

Cllr Bell said; “While it’s been an honour to represent my community as a member of Wexford County Council these past four years, and particularly as Mayor of Wexford in 2022/23, I have many of my own projects which will require more of my attention than I am able to commit to at the present moment.”

Best wishes for a happy retirement have been universally expressed to both Cllr Codd-Nolan and Cllr Bell and with about eight months to run until the next local elections it is anticipated that more well-known names will not be on the ballot papers next time.