Ireland is a parliamentary, representative democratic republic and a member state of the European Union. While the head of state is the popularly elected President of Ireland, it is a largely ceremonial position, with real political power being vested in the Taoiseach, who is nominated by the Dáil and is the head of the government.
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, which had a population of 246,977 at the 2022 census.
The 1997 Irish presidential election was held on Thursday, 30 October 1997. It was the eleventh presidential election to be held in Ireland, and only the sixth to be contested by more than one candidate. It was held ahead of schedule when incumbent Mary Robinson resigned to assume her new appointment as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Alan Dukes is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communication from 1996 to 1997, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Fine Gael from 1987 to 1990, Minister for Justice from 1986 to 1987, Minister for Finance from 1982 to 1986 and Minister for Agriculture from 1981 to 1982. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1981 to 2002.
The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, Wales and Scotland by legislation in 1888 and 1889. The Act effectively ended landlord control of local government in Ireland.
Republican Sinn Féin or RSF is an Irish republican political party in Ireland. RSF claims to be heirs of the Sinn Féin party founded in 1905 and took its present form in 1986 following a split in Sinn Féin. RSF members take seats when elected to local government in the Republic of Ireland, but do not recognise the validity of the Partition of Ireland. It subsequently does not recognise the legitimacy of the parliaments of Northern Ireland (Stormont) or the Republic of Ireland, so the party does not register itself with them.
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
Emmet Stagg is an Irish former Labour Party politician who served as Labour Party Chief Whip from 2007 to 2016, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications from 1994 to 1997 and Minister of State at the Department of the Environment from 1993 to 1994. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1987 to 2016.
Catherine Murphy is an Irish Social Democrats politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare North constituency since the 2011 general election, and previously from 2005 to 2007. She previously served as founding joint Leader of the Social Democrats from 2015 to 2023. In February 2023, she announced that she would stand down as co-leader of the Social Democrats.
Kildare County Council is the authority responsible for local government in County Kildare, 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 40 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, Sonya Kavanagh. The county town is Naas.
Joseph Bermingham was an Irish Labour Party politician.
Timothy Conway is an Irish former politician from Naas in County Kildare. An accountant and long-serving local councillor, he served for six years as a senator in the 1980s and later contested two general elections. In the course of his political career he switched party twice, moving from the Labour Party to the Progressive Democrats and then to Fine Gael.
Patsy Lawlor was an Irish politician, nurse and businesswoman. She was elected to Seanad Éireann on the Cultural and Educational Panel in 1981 as a Fine Gael member. She lost her seat at the 1983 Seanad election. She was president of the Irish Countrywomen's Association for many years. She became the first woman to chair Kildare County Council and Kildare VEC.
An election to Dublin Corporation took place in March 1899 as part of that year's Irish local elections.
The 1899 Irish local elections were the first local elections following the reorganisation of Irish local government caused by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. The 1898 Act had changed the nature of Irish local governance, replacing the unrepresentative grand jury system, and making local government more democratic and representative. As a result, the 1899 election saw the traditional Unionist Landowning class, which had previously dominated much of Irish local politics, being replaced by a newer nationalist representation. Ulster's local government, however, remained Unionist in political outlook.
The 1924 Northern Irish local elections were held in January & June 1924 for the various county & district councils of Northern Ireland. The election followed changes by the Unionist government, which had redrawn electoral districts, abolished PR for local elections, and implemented a requirement for members of local authorities to take an oath of allegiance.
A Kildare County Council election was held in County Kildare in Ireland on 24 May 2019 as part of that year's local elections. All 40 councillors were elected for a five-year term of office from 8 local electoral areas (LEAs) by single transferable vote.
Patricia Ryan is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare South constituency since the 2020 general election.
Vincent Peter Martin is an Irish Green Party politician who has served as a Senator since June 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.
The 1997 Reading Borough Council election was held on 1 May 1997, at the same time as other local elections across England and Northern Ireland, and on the same day as the general election. All of the 45 seats on Reading Borough Council were up for election, rather than the usual third of the seats. This was in preparation for the local government reorganisation in Berkshire which saw Berkshire County Council abolished and its functions transferred to the six district councils, including Reading, with effect from 1 April 1998. The elections to Berkshire County Council which would ordinarily have been held in 1997 were cancelled. Some outgoing members of Berkshire County Council used the opportunity to seek a seat on the borough council for the first time, including the leader of the Labour group on the county council, Lawrence Silverman.
