Offaly to lose two councillors, three town councils to be axed
Offaly County Council will lose two councillors, following recommendations by a special Boundary Committee today, while Birr, Tullamore and Edenderry Town Councils will all be abolished.
Details of the changes were released today as part of a report published by Minister for the Environment and Local Government Phil Hogan.
The Minister said he has accepted the report in full and will be making the necessary orders to give effect to the changes in due course. The new system will come into effect for the 2014 local elections.
As part of the changes, the number of county councillors in Offaly will be reduced from 21 to 19.
The existing four electoral areas will be changed to three municipal districts.
The Boundary Committee report has recommended that Offaly County Council operate three municipal districts: Tullamore, Birr and Edenderry, with seven, six and six councillors respectively.
At present, there are four electoral areas, Tullamore, Birr, Ferbane and Edenderry.
The Ferbane area will now be incorporated into a Birr municipal district which stretches from Doon, outside Athlone, to Dunkerrin, outside Roscrea.
The Edenderry municipal district takes in all of North and East Offaly, while the Tullamore
area also covers Clara and Ballycumber.
The district electoral divisions to be covered are in each new district are:
Tullamore: Ballycumber, Bawn, Cappancur, Clara, Derrycooly, Durrow, Gorteen, Kilcumreragh, Killeigh, Killoughy, Rahan, Rathrobin, Screggan, Silverbrook, Tinamuck, Tinnycross, Tullamore Rural and Tullamore Urban
Birr: Aghancon, Ballincor, Banagher, Barna, Birr Rural, Birr Urban, Broughal, Cangort, Cloghan, Clonmacnoise, Cullenwaine, Derrinboy, Derryad, Doon, Dromoyle, Drumcullen, Dunkerrin, Eglish, Ettagh, Ferbane, Gallen, Gorteen, Hinds, Huntston, Kilcolman, Kilcormac, Killooly, Killyon, Kinnitty, Knockbarron, Lea, Letter, Lumcloon, Lusmagh, Mounterin, Mountheaton,
Moyclare, Roscomroe, Seirkieran, Shannonbridge, Shannonharbour, Shinrone, Srah, Templeharry and Tulla.
Edenderry: Ballaghassaan, Ballyburly, Ballycommon, Ballymacwilliam, Ballyshear, Bracknagh, Clonbulloge, Clonmore, Clonygowan, Croghan, Daingean, Edenderry Rural, Edenderry Urban, Esker, Geashill, Hammerlane, Kilclonfert, Knockdrin, Monasteroris, Mountbriscoe, O’Dempsey, Portarlington North, Raheenakeeran and Rathfeston.