John Leahy confirms local election run

With two sitting councillors in the Birr Municipal District planning to retire from local politics, Kilcormac-based auctioneer Cllr John Leahy has confirmed that his name will be on the ballot paper at the upcoming local election, which is widely expected to take place in June.

Cllr Leahy told the Offaly Independent this week that he intends to put his name forward as an Independent candidate, but added that he has “no plans” to contest the next general election.

The sitting councillor, who owns and operates a thriving auctioneering business – Leahy Midland Auctioneers – was first elected to Offaly County Council in 2009 as an Independent, representing the Birr area.

He was re-elected, topping the poll, in 2014.

Leahy joined Renua at its foundation in 2015 and represented the party unsuccessfully in the 2016 general election where he was eliminated on the fifth count with 6,588 votes.

Cllr Leahy also stood in the 2011 general election and again in 2020, but failed to win a Dáil seat.

Following the 2020 general election he said he did not think it would ever be possible for him to secure a seat in Dáil Eireann given the current political landscape in the constituency of Laois/Offaly.

Despite the fact that Barry Cowen has signalled his intention to make a bid to win a seat in Europe at the forthcoming EU elections, and the constituency boundary changes which will see Offaly revert to being a standalone 3-seat Dail constituency, Cllr Leahy said that he currently has “no plans” to make another bid to win a Dáil seat.