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4councillors
Town Hall & politics · Wicklow County Council

Turnout in Wicklow was among the highest at the 2024 general election

Bray is split between local electoral areas: 53% of its residents are in Bray East, most of the rest in Bray West. There is just one council for Bray, Wicklow County Council: Ireland has only one tier of local government. The Bray East local electoral area elected 4 councillors in June 2024: Fine Gael 1, Green Party 1, Independent Ireland 1 and Independent 1. No party holds a majority on Wicklow County; Independent has the most seats, 10 of 32, short of the 17 a majority needs. In the Dáil, Wicklow has 4 members: Fine Gael 2, Social Democrats 1 and Sinn Féin 1.

Councillors
4
Bray East · Wicklow County
Turnout, June 2024
53%
Bray East · Ireland 49%
TDs
4
Wicklow
Turnout, November 2024
68%
Wicklow · Ireland 60%
Budget per resident, 2026
€1,177
day-to-day services; all councils €1,551
What stands out · In brief

Bray’s council and votes, in 4 figures

High turnout

57,411 of Wicklow’s 84,669 registered voters turned out in November 2024, 68%: the 1st-highest of 43 Dáil constituencies (all of them: 60%). Dáil Éireann ↓

A crowded ballot

12 candidates stood for 4 seats in Bray East in June 2024, the 8th-most contested ballot of 166 by candidates per seat. Local elections ↓

A lean budget for its size

Wicklow County Council’s 2026 revenue budget comes to €1,177 for each resident, against €1,551 across all 31 councils, leaving out the HAP programme. Council money ↓

No majority on Wicklow County

Independent won the most seats on Wicklow County Council in June 2024, 10 of 32, short of the 17 a majority needs; it ran 20 candidates. No party holds a majority on any of the 31 councils, so each council’s business is carried by votes across parties. Who’s in charge ↓

Written from the data on this page: the 2024 count sheets of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Oireachtas members list.

Who’s in charge

No party holds a majority on Wicklow County Council

Seats on Wicklow County Council as elected in June 2024, with each party’s candidates, and the other councils beside it.

Council · 32 councillorsWicklow County CouncilNo majority
IndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFianna FáilFianna FáilFianna FáilFianna FáilSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSinn FéinSinn FéinGreen PartyGreen PartyLabour PartyIndependent Ireland32seats
  • Independent1020 stood
  • Fine Gael911 stood
  • Fianna Fáil410 stood
  • Social Democrats35 stood
  • Sinn Féin211 stood
  • Green Party24 stood
  • Labour Party14 stood
  • Independent Ireland12 stood

As elected on 7 June 2024.

A party needs 17 of the 32 seats to outvote the rest. None has that: Independent is largest with 10. None of the 31 councils has a single-party majority. Fine Gael is second with 9 seats. The councillors elect a cathaoirleach each June to chair the council for a year; no open national list names them.

The 31 councils of Ireland

Seats by party as elected, largest party named; this council first.

Wicklow County
Independent 10 of 32
Carlow County
Fine Gael 6 of 18
Cavan County
Fine Gael 6 of 18
Clare County
Fianna Fáil 14 of 28
Cork City
Fianna Fáil 9 of 31
Cork County
Fianna Fáil 19 of 55
Donegal County
Fianna Fáil 10 of 37
Dublin City
Fine Gael 11 of 63
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County
Fine Gael 16 of 40
Fingal County
Independent 7 of 40
Galway City
Independent 4 of 18
Galway County
Fine Gael 13 of 39
Kerry County
Independent 11 of 33
Kildare County
Fianna Fáil 12 of 40
Kilkenny County
Fianna Fáil 11 of 24
Laois County
Fianna Fáil 6 of 19
Leitrim County
Fianna Fáil 6 of 18
Limerick City and County
Fine Gael 13 of 40
Longford County
Fine Gael 8 of 18
Louth County
Sinn Féin 7 of 29
Mayo County
Fine Gael 10 of 30
Meath County
Independent 11 of 40
Monaghan County
Sinn Féin 8 of 18
Offaly County
Fianna Fáil 8 of 19
Roscommon County
Independent 7 of 18
Sligo County
Fianna Fáil 6 of 18
South Dublin County
Independent 10 of 40
Tipperary County
Independent 14 of 40
Waterford City and County
Independent 8 of 32
Westmeath County
Fianna Fáil 9 of 20
Wexford County
Independent 11 of 34
Fine GaelFianna FáilSocial DemocratsSinn FéinGreen PartyLabour PartyIndependent IrelandPeople Before Profit–SolidarityAontúIndependentOther parties

Local and general election results 2024: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY-SA 4.0); areas matched to towns by TownRatings from Tailte Éireann boundaries and CSO Census 2022 Small Areas (CC BY 4.0).

Who runs Bray

One council, and the government for the rest

Bray has no town or county council of its own: Ireland has 31 councils, each the only council for its area.

Wicklow County Council

Housing and homelessness, planning, local and regional roads, parks and libraries, the fire service, bins enforcement and street cleaning, the register of electors, and the Local Property Tax rate it may vary.

wicklow.ie ↗
The Government and its departments

Schools (Department of Education), health (the HSE), national roads (TII), policing (An Garda Síochána) and the Local Property Tax itself (Revenue).

gov.ie ↗
Other public bodies

Uisce Éireann runs water and sewers; private operators collect most bins under the council’s rules.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

The council for the part of Bray inside its area.

dlrcoco.ie ↗

Who to ask

Bins and recyclingYour waste collector (the council enforces)
Planning applicationsWicklow County Council
Council housing and homelessnessWicklow County Council
Potholes, roads and streetlightsWicklow County Council
Parks and leisure centresWicklow County Council
LibrariesWicklow County Council
Fire safety visitsWicklow County Council
Water, sewers and leaksUisce Éireann
Schools and school placesDepartment of Education
Hospitals, GPs and careHSE
Police priorities and budgetAn Garda Síochána
Local Property TaxRevenue
Motorways and national roadsTransport Infrastructure Ireland
The register of electorsWicklow County Council

Green: the council. Gold: a government department or one of its agencies. Grey: another public body.

Who represents Bray

From the council to the Dáil

Every elected tier that speaks for Bray, from the most recent elections.

  1. 1
    3 local electoral areas3 local electoral areas · 15 councillors
    Fine Gael 5 · Independent 3 · Green Party 2 · Independent Ireland 1 · Sinn Féin 1 · Social Democrats 1 · Labour Party 1 · People Before Profit–Solidarity 1
  2. 2
    Wicklow County Council32 councillors from 6 local electoral areas
    Independent 10 · Fine Gael 9 · Fianna Fáil 4 · Social Democrats 3 · Sinn Féin 2 · Green Party 2 · Labour Party 1 · Independent Ireland 1
  3. 3
    Dáil ÉireannWicklow · 4 members
  4. 4
    Dáil ÉireannDún Laoghaire · 4 members

Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. TDs: Houses of the Oireachtas Open Data (Oireachtas PSI Licence, CC BY 4.0).

Councillors

15 councillors for Bray’s 3 local electoral areas

Each of the local electoral areas where 5% or more of the town’s residents live: who was elected, and who else stood.

Bray East
53% of Bray · 4 seats · 12 candidates · 100% of the area’s people live in Bray
  • Aoife Flynn Kennedy
  • Erika Doyle
  • Ian Neary
  • Malachaí Duddy

Also stood (8): Denise Cahill (Sinn Féin), Fergal Fitzgerald Doyle (Fianna Fáil), Anne Ferris (Labour Party), Ciarán Hogan (Aontú), Aaron McAllorum (Social Democrats), Finnian Cremins (The Irish People), Frank Hayes (People Before Profit–Solidarity), Lee Donnelly (Independent).

Bray West
38% of Bray · 4 seats · 10 candidates · 67% of the area’s people live in Bray
  • Joe Behan
  • Melanie Corrigan
  • Dermot 'Daisy' O'Brien
  • Caroline Winstanley

Also stood (6): Rob Carry (Independent), Alex Pigot (Green Party), Keith Manning (Independent), Mick Ryan (Sinn Féin), Bryan Kenna (Labour Party), Colm Joseph Flood (Independent).

Killiney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County)
9% of Bray · 7 seats · 15 candidates · 8% of the area’s people live in Bray
  • Carrie Smyth
  • Jim Gildea
  • Frank McNamara
  • Hugh Lewis
  • Jacqueline Burke
  • Lauren Tuite
  • Dave O'Keeffe

Also stood (8): Roland Kennedy (Sinn Féin), SallyAnn Moylan (Fianna Fáil), Lesley Byrne (Social Democrats), Fergus Power (Independent), James Kearney (Labour Party), Tracey Hennessy (Independent), Michael O'Doherty (Independent), Susan Muldoon (Independent).

Bray’s councillors, one by one

CouncillorPartyAreaFirst preferencesResultReturning or new
Aoife Flynn KennedyFine GaelBray East1,114Elected at count 5, on the quotaRe-elected
Erika DoyleGreen PartyBray East960Elected at count 6, on the quotaRe-elected
Ian NearyIndependent IrelandBray East898Elected at the last count, below the quotaNew
Malachaí DuddyIndependentBray East614Elected at the last count, below the quotaNew
Joe BehanIndependentBray West2,449Elected at count 1, on the quotaRe-elected
Melanie CorriganFine GaelBray West1,742Elected at count 1, on the quotaRe-elected
Dermot 'Daisy' O'BrienSinn FéinBray West567Elected at the last count, below the quotaRe-elected
Caroline WinstanleySocial DemocratsBray West513Elected at count 8, on the quotaNew
Carrie SmythLabour PartyKilliney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County)1,780Elected at count 1, on the quotaRe-elected
Jim GildeaFine GaelKilliney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County)1,605Elected at count 5, on the quotaRe-elected
Frank McNamaraFine GaelKilliney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County)1,587Elected at count 5, on the quotaRe-elected
Hugh LewisIndependentKilliney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County)1,261Elected at count 7, on the quotaRe-elected
Jacqueline BurkeFine GaelKilliney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County)1,241Elected at count 9, on the quotaNew
Lauren TuiteGreen PartyKilliney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County)966Elected at the last count, below the quotaRe-elected
Dave O'KeeffePeople Before Profit–SolidarityKilliney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County)725Elected at the last count, below the quotaNew

10 of the 15 were sitting councillors who were re-elected; 5 weren’t on the council before the election.

Seats by party in each of Wicklow County Council’s 6 local electoral areas

Bray East
4 seats · 53% turnout
Bray West
4 seats · 53% turnout
Arklow
6 seats · 54% turnout
Baltinglass
6 seats · 55% turnout
Greystones
6 seats · 55% turnout
Wicklow
6 seats · 53% turnout
Every area of Wicklow County Council: seats, candidates and turnout
AreaSeatsCandidatesElectorateTurnoutQuota
Bray East41212,27353.4%1,299
Bray West41013,46153.2%1,424
Arklow61219,25954.1%1,467
Baltinglass61320,66154.5%1,594
Greystones61421,03554.6%1,626
Wicklow61323,37853.1%1,758

Each of the local electoral areas elects 3 to 7 councillors by single transferable vote: voters number the candidates in order, a candidate who reaches the quota is elected, and spare votes and those of the lowest candidate pass to the next preference. A councillor who leaves is replaced by co-option, usually from the same party, so the names can change without an election.

Fianna FáilFine GaelSinn FéinLabour PartySocial DemocratsGreen PartyPeople Before Profit–SolidarityIndependent IrelandAontúIndependentOther parties

Councillors: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

The council

Of the 32 councillors on Wicklow County Council, women hold 10

Everyone elected to Wicklow County Council across its 6 local electoral areas in June 2024, by party: how many are women and how many sat on the council before.

PartySeatsWomenRe-electedFirst preferences
Independent103730.5%
Fine Gael94521.3%
Fianna Fáil40418.1%
Social Democrats3107.7%
Green Party2224.6%
Sinn Féin2018.7%
Independent Ireland1002.4%
Labour Party1013.7%

10 of the 32 councillors are women, 31%; across all 31 councils the share is 26%. 20 sat on the council before the election and 12 are new to it.

Every member of Wicklow County Council
CouncillorPartyAreaReturning or new
Pat KennedyFianna FáilArklowRe-elected
Peir LeonardIndependentArklowRe-elected
Pat FitzgeraldFianna FáilArklowRe-elected
Slyvester BourkeFine GaelArklowRe-elected
Warren O'TooleSinn FéinArklowNew
Miriam MurphyIndependentArklowRe-elected
Gerry O'NeillIndependentBaltinglassRe-elected
Edward TimminsFine GaelBaltinglassRe-elected
Peter StapletonFine GaelBaltinglassNew
Avril CroninFine GaelBaltinglassRe-elected
Patsy GlennonFianna FáilBaltinglassRe-elected
Jason MulhallIndependentBaltinglassNew
Aoife Flynn KennedyFine GaelBray EastRe-elected
Erika DoyleGreen PartyBray EastRe-elected
Ian NearyIndependent IrelandBray EastNew
Malachaí DuddyIndependentBray EastNew
Joe BehanIndependentBray WestRe-elected
Melanie CorriganFine GaelBray WestRe-elected
Dermot 'Daisy' O'BrienSinn FéinBray WestRe-elected
Caroline WinstanleySocial DemocratsBray WestNew
Stephen StokesIndependentGreystonesRe-elected
Tom FortuneIndependentGreystonesRe-elected
Louise Fenelon GaskinFine GaelGreystonesNew
Orla FinnIndependentGreystonesNew
Mark BarrySocial DemocratsGreystonesNew
Lourda ScottGreen PartyGreystonesRe-elected
John SnellIndependentWicklowRe-elected
Danny AlveySocial DemocratsWicklowNew
Shane LangrellFine GaelWicklowNew
Gail DunneFianna FáilWicklowRe-elected
Paul O'BrienLabour PartyWicklowRe-elected
Graham RichmondFine GaelWicklowNew

The council: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

How Bray voted

First preferences in Bray East, June 2024

Each candidate’s first-preference votes; the tick is the quota of 1,299. Elected candidates are in bold.

Aoife Flynn Kennedy1,114
Erika Doyle960
Ian Neary898
Denise Cahill705
Malachaí Duddy614
Fergal Fitzgerald Doyle556
Anne Ferris488
Ciarán Hogan424
Aaron McAllorum402
Finnian Cremins162
Frank Hayes133
Lee Donnelly34

First-preference share by party in Bray East

PartyShareIreland
Fine Gael17.2%23%
Green Party14.8%3.6%
Independent Ireland13.8%2.8%
Sinn Féin10.9%11.8%
Independent10%20.9%
Fianna Fáil8.6%22.9%
Labour Party7.5%5.3%
Aontú6.5%2.1%
Social Democrats6.2%3.4%
The Irish People2.5%0.7%
People Before Profit–Solidarity2%1.5%

The tick is the party’s share across all of Ireland.

6,556 of 12,273 registered voters turned out, 53.4%: the 58th-highest of 166 local electoral areas (all of them: 49.4%). With 6,490 valid votes and 4 seats the quota was 1,299; the count ran to 7 rounds. No candidate reached the quota on first preferences: transfers filled every seat. Malachaí Duddy (Independent) was 5th on first preferences and elected on transfers, ahead of Denise Cahill (Sinn Féin), 4th on first preferences. The last seat went to Malachaí Duddy (Independent) with 1,063 votes at the final count, 52 ahead of Denise Cahill (Sinn Féin), who had 1,011.

Every candidate, count by count (7 counts)
CandidatePartyFirst preferencesResultVotes at the end
Ian NearyIndependent Ireland898Elected at the last count, below the quota1,256
Malachaí DuddyIndependent614Elected at the last count, below the quota1,063
Erika DoyleGreen Party960Elected at count 6, on the quota1,316
Aoife Flynn KennedyFine Gael1,114Elected at count 5, on the quota1,299
Finnian CreminsThe Irish People162Excluded at count 2–
Frank HayesPeople Before Profit–Solidarity133Excluded at count 2–
Lee DonnellyIndependent34Excluded at count 2–
Aaron McAllorumSocial Democrats402Excluded at count 3–
Ciarán HoganAontú424Excluded at count 4–
Fergal Fitzgerald DoyleFianna Fáil556Excluded at count 5–
Anne FerrisLabour Party488Excluded at count 7–
Denise CahillSinn Féin705Not elected, standing at the last count1,011
Bray West: first preferences (38% of Bray)
Joe Behan2,449
Melanie Corrigan1,742
Dermot 'Daisy' O'Brien567
Caroline Winstanley513
Rob Carry468
Alex Pigot381
Keith Manning356
Mick Ryan331
Bryan Kenna251
Colm Joseph Flood61

Each party’s share of first preferences in Bray West

PartyShareIreland
Independent46.8%20.9%
Fine Gael24.5%23%
Sinn Féin12.6%11.8%
Social Democrats7.2%3.4%
Green Party5.4%3.6%
Labour Party3.5%5.3%

7,167 of 13,461 registered voters turned out, 53.2%: the 61st-highest of 166 local electoral areas (all of them: 49.4%). The quota was 1,424: 7,119 valid votes for 4 seats, counted over 8 rounds. Joe Behan (Independent) and Melanie Corrigan (Fine Gael) passed the quota on first preferences; transfers filled the other 2. Dermot 'Daisy' O'Brien (Sinn Féin) took the last seat with 1,221 votes at the final count, 289 more than Rob Carry (Independent), on 932.

Killiney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County): first preferences (9% of Bray)
Carrie Smyth1,780
Jim Gildea1,605
Frank McNamara1,587
Hugh Lewis1,261
Jacqueline Burke1,241
Lauren Tuite966
Roland Kennedy897
SallyAnn Moylan864
Dave O'Keeffe725
Lesley Byrne686
Fergus Power650
James Kearney393
Tracey Hennessy344
Michael O'Doherty208
Susan Muldoon58

First-preference share by party in Killiney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County)

PartyShareIreland
Fine Gael33.4%23%
Independent19%20.9%
Labour Party16.4%5.3%
Green Party7.3%3.6%
Sinn Féin6.8%11.8%
Fianna Fáil6.5%22.9%
People Before Profit–Solidarity5.5%1.5%
Social Democrats5.2%3.4%

Turnout was 42%, 13,449 of 32,023 registered voters: the 147th-highest of 166 local electoral areas (all of them: 49.4%). Carrie Smyth (Labour Party) passed the quota on first preferences; transfers filled the other 6. Dave O'Keeffe (People Before Profit–Solidarity), 9th on first preferences, won a seat on transfers, overtaking Roland Kennedy (Sinn Féin), who was 7th. Dave O'Keeffe (People Before Profit–Solidarity) took the last seat with 1,166 votes at the final count, 6 more than Roland Kennedy (Sinn Féin), on 1,160.

How Bray voted: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

Local elections

Who stood, and who was elected, June 2024

Every candidate for Wicklow County Council, by party: the light bar is candidates, the solid bar those elected.

Independent10 of 20
Fine Gael9 of 11
Fianna Fáil4 of 10
Social Democrats3 of 5
Sinn Féin2 of 11
Green Party2 of 4
Labour Party1 of 4
Independent Ireland1 of 2
People Before Profit–Solidarity0 of 4
Aontú0 of 1
Irish Freedom Party0 of 1
The Irish People0 of 1

Share of candidates elected, all of Ireland

Fine Gael72%
Fianna Fáil68%
Labour Party51%
Social Democrats45%
Independent Ireland38%
Independent37%
Sinn Féin30%
People Before Profit–Solidarity25%
Green Party18%
Aontú12%
The National Party7%
Irish Freedom Party4%
The Irish People0%

Parties with 10 or more candidates across the 31 councils.

74 candidates stood for 32 seats on Wicklow County Council in June 2024, 2.3 for each seat. Turnout across the council was 53.9%, the 12th-highest of 31 councils. Independent elected 10 of its 20 candidates. 25 of the 74 candidates were women (34%; 31% across the country), and 20 stood without a party. Across all 31 councils, 2,172 candidates stood for 949 seats, 2.3 for each.

Turnout in all 31 councils
Leitrim County65%
Roscommon County60.3%
Kerry County59.4%
Mayo County59.2%
Longford County57.4%
Sligo County56.2%
Cavan County55.5%
Clare County55%
Tipperary County54.8%
Donegal County54.4%
Monaghan County54.1%
Wicklow County53.9%
Galway County53.1%
Laois County53.1%
Wexford County52%
Limerick City and County51.9%
Cork County51.4%
Kilkenny County51.4%
Offaly County50.9%
Westmeath County50.4%
Waterford City and County50%
Louth County48.8%
Meath County48%
Carlow County47.5%
Kildare County45.5%
Galway City44.8%
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County44.2%
Cork City43.7%
Fingal County41.8%
South Dublin County41.3%
Dublin City40.6%

Local elections: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

Dáil Éireann

Bray is split between 2 Dáil constituencies

4 TDs elected to the Dáil by single transferable vote on 29 November 2024, the whole constituency’s count.

Edward Timmins

Fine Gael

oireachtas.ie ↗
Jennifer Whitmore

Social Democrats

oireachtas.ie ↗
John Brady

Sinn Féin

oireachtas.ie ↗
Simon Harris

Fine Gael · Minister for Finance

oireachtas.ie ↗

TDs as the Oireachtas lists them today, with any office they hold; a by-election or a change of party shows here, the 2024 count below does not change.

First preferences in Wicklow, November 2024

Simon Harris16,869
John Brady8,450
Jennifer Whitmore7,699
Stephen Donnelly3,553
Shay Cullen3,232
Edward Timmins3,050
Joe Behan2,909
Steven Matthews2,366
Paul O'Brien2,009
Gerry O'Neill1,963
Rob Carry1,597
Ciaran Hogan1,267
Kellie McConnell1,259
Philip Dwyer435
Michaela Keddy242
Charlie Keddy141
Dominic Plant21
Sean O'Leary9

First-preference share by party in Wicklow

PartyShareIreland
Fine Gael34.9%20.8%
Independent18.1%13.2%
Sinn Féin14.8%19%
Social Democrats13.5%4.8%
Fianna Fáil6.2%21.9%
Green Party4.1%3%
Labour Party3.5%4.7%
Aontú2.2%3.9%
People Before Profit–Solidarity2.2%2.8%
The Irish People0.4%0.3%

57,411 of 84,669 registered voters turned out, 67.8%: the 1st-highest of 43 Dáil constituencies (all of them: 59.7%). Simon Harris (Fine Gael) passed the quota on first preferences; transfers filled the other 3. Edward Timmins (Fine Gael) was 6th on first preferences and elected on transfers, ahead of Stephen Donnelly (Fianna Fáil), 4th on first preferences. Edward Timmins (Fine Gael) took the last seat with 9,110 votes at the final count, 1,563 more than Stephen Donnelly (Fianna Fáil), on 7,547.

Every candidate, count by count (13 counts)
CandidatePartyFirst preferencesResultVotes at the end
Edward TimminsFine Gael3,050Elected at the last count, below the quota9,110
John BradySinn Féin8,450Elected at count 11, on the quota11,415
Jennifer WhitmoreSocial Democrats7,699Elected at count 9, on the quota11,415
Simon HarrisFine Gael16,869Elected at count 1, on the quota11,415
Philip DwyerIndependent435Excluded at count 3–
Michaela KeddyThe Irish People242Excluded at count 3–
Charlie KeddyIndependent141Excluded at count 3–
Dominic PlantIndependent21Excluded at count 3–
Sean O'LearyIndependent9Excluded at count 3–
Kellie McConnellPeople Before Profit–Solidarity1,259Excluded at count 4–
Ciaran HoganAontú1,267Excluded at count 5–
Gerry O'NeillIndependent1,963Excluded at count 6–
Paul O'BrienLabour Party2,009Excluded at count 7–
Rob CarryIndependent1,597Excluded at count 8–
Steven MatthewsGreen Party2,366Excluded at count 9–
Joe BehanIndependent2,909Excluded at count 11–
Shay CullenIndependent3,232Excluded at count 13–
Stephen DonnellyFianna Fáil3,553Not elected, standing at the last count7,547
Dún Laoghaire: first preferences (9% of Bray)
Jennifer Carroll Macneill11,685
Cormac Devlin8,831
Barry Ward8,337
Richard Boyd Barrett6,795
Shane O'Brien4,995
Ossian Smyth4,297
Hugo Mills4,192
Martha Fanning3,169
Mairéad Tóibín2,376
Cathy Lynch649
Michael O'Doherty343

First-preference share by party in Dún Laoghaire

PartyShareIreland
Fine Gael36%20.8%
Fianna Fáil15.9%21.9%
People Before Profit–Solidarity12.2%2.8%
Sinn Féin9%19%
Green Party7.7%3%
Social Democrats7.5%4.8%
Labour Party5.7%4.7%
Aontú4.3%3.9%
The Irish People1.2%0.3%
Independent0.6%13.2%

Turnout was 58.6%, 55,916 of 95,462 registered voters: the 27th-highest of 43 Dáil constituencies (all of them: 59.7%). Jennifer Carroll Macneill (Fine Gael) reached the quota on first preferences alone, and transfers decided the other 3. The last seat went to Barry Ward (Fine Gael) with 10,992 votes at the final count, 2,480 ahead of Hugo Mills (Social Democrats), who had 8,512.

Dáil Éireann: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

Council money

Wicklow County Council plans to spend €1,177 per resident in 2026

What its 2026 revenue budget pays for, service by service, and where the money comes from.

Revenue budget, 2026
€184.3M
day-to-day services
Commercial rates
€34.4M
to be levied on businesses, 2026
Local Property Tax
€21.8M
the council’s share, 2026
Government grants
€85.6M
grants and subsidies, 2026

By service, per resident, 2026

Housing and building€441
Roads and transport€213
Planning and development€157
Environment and fire€151
Libraries, parks and amenities€88
Other services€77
Water services€40
Agriculture, education, health and welfare€15

What pays for it, 2026

SourceWicklow CountyAll councils
Government grants and subsidies46%47%
Charges for goods and services21%20%
Commercial rates19%23%
Local Property Tax12%7%
Other councils’ contributions2%2%

Shares of what funds the 2026 budget; the tick is all 31 councils together.

Leaving out the HAP programme, that is the 6th-lowest of the 31 councils per resident; across all of them it is €1,551. The budget is up 10% on 2025, when it was €168.1M.

Commercial rates on businesses pay for 19% of the budget. Its annual rate on valuation is 0.2240, the 6th-lowest of the 31 councils that rate on revalued property. The Local Property Tax brings in another 12%.

Budget per resident, all 31 councils (without the HAP programme)
Dublin City€2,845
Galway City€1,903
Leitrim County€1,820
Longford County€1,702
Tipperary County€1,626
Waterford City and County€1,624
Cork City€1,614
Clare County€1,593
Mayo County€1,590
Kerry County€1,585
Monaghan County€1,490
Cork County€1,459
Louth County€1,453
Laois County€1,441
Limerick City and County€1,437
South Dublin County€1,401
Cavan County€1,366
Westmeath County€1,343
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County€1,338
Carlow County€1,337
Donegal County€1,327
Fingal County€1,309
Kilkenny County€1,240
Offaly County€1,222
Roscommon County€1,219
Wicklow County€1,177
Sligo County€1,173
Meath County€1,170
Kildare County€1,147
Wexford County€1,118
Galway County€1,045
Show the services as a table, 2025 and 2026
Service2026Per resident2025Change
Housing and building€68.8M€441€61.8M11%
Roads and transport€33.1M€213€31.1M7%
Water services€6.3M€40€6.5M-3%
Planning and development€24.4M€157€20.6M18%
Environment and fire€23.5M€151€20.4M15%
Libraries, parks and amenities€13.7M€88€13M6%
Agriculture, education, health and welfare€2.4M€15€2.7M-12%
Other services€12.1M€77€12M1%

Budgets: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Local Authority Annual Budgets 2025 and 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), revenue account before inter-authority contributions are netted; residents: CSO Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0).

Council size

Wicklow County Council has 32 councillors, one for every 4,870 residents

Residents per councillor on each of the 31 councils.

Wicklow County Council has 32 councillors for 155,851 residents: about 4,870 each, the 11th-highest of 31 councils. The range runs from 9,410 residents per councillor on Dublin City to 1,960 on Leitrim County.

Residents per councillor, all 31 councils
Dublin City9,410
Fingal County8,260
South Dublin County7,530
Cork City7,230
Cork County6,550
Kildare County6,190
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County5,850
Meath County5,520
Limerick City and County5,240
Galway County4,960
Wicklow County4,870
Laois County4,840
Wexford County4,820
Louth County4,820
Westmeath County4,810
Kerry County4,740
Galway City4,690
Mayo County4,600
Clare County4,570
Cavan County4,540
Donegal County4,520
Offaly County4,380
Kilkenny County4,340
Tipperary County4,200
Waterford City and County3,980
Roscommon County3,900
Sligo County3,900
Monaghan County3,630
Carlow County3,440
Longford County2,600
Leitrim County1,960

Seats: local elections 2024 (Department of Housing, CC BY-SA 4.0); residents: CSO Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0).

Get involved

Having a say in how Bray is run

Check you’re registered to vote

Check, register or update your address online; the register closes 15 days before a poll (Sundays and holidays aside).

checktheregister.ie ↗
Report a problem on your street

Potholes, broken lights, dumping and graffiti, sent to the council.

FixYourStreet.ie ↗
Watch a council meeting

Council and municipal district meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.

wicklow.ie ↗
Comment on a planning application

Anyone may make a submission within five weeks of an application, for a fee of €20.

wicklow.ie ↗
Contact your TDs

Each TD’s contact details are on the Oireachtas members page.

oireachtas.ie ↗
Stand for election

The Electoral Commission’s guidance for candidates and how to be nominated.

electoralcommission.ie ↗
How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

  • Single transferable vote. Voters number candidates in order. The quota is the valid votes divided by one more than the seats, plus one. A candidate over the quota is elected and their surplus passes on; when nobody is over it, the lowest is excluded and their votes pass on, until the seats are filled. The last seats can go to candidates below the quota once too few are left to fill them. First preferences show where support started, not who won.
  • Which area. A town is placed in its council, local electoral area and Dáil constituency by where its residents live (Census 2022 Small Areas); an area holding 5% or more of them is listed too. Areas reach beyond the town, so their results are the whole area’s.
  • Turnout. Votes cast, spoilt ones included, as a share of the register. Registers carry people who have moved or died, so every turnout reads low by a few points; compare areas, not the figure on its own.
  • A close last seat. Shown only when the last candidate elected and the one left standing were both in the final count; the gap is between their votes then. Margins are not shown as headlines unless they are among the closest.
  • Not on this page. Audited accounts and debt are published only as PDF statements, so they aren’t on this page. Votes before 2024 aren’t compared: the local electoral areas were redrawn for the 2024 local elections and the Dáil constituencies in 2023, so earlier results don’t cover the same ground. Who chairs each council and who runs it as chief executive aren’t in any open national list; each council names them on its website.

Questions about how Bray is run

Which council runs Bray?

Bray is run by Wicklow County Council, its only council: Ireland has one tier of local government.

How many councillors does Bray have?

Bray is split between 3 local electoral areas: Bray East (4 seats, 53% of residents), Bray West (4 seats, 38% of residents) and Killiney-Shankill (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County) (7 seats, 9% of residents).

Which party has the most seats on Wicklow County Council?

No party has a majority. As elected, Independent 10 · Fine Gael 9 · Fianna Fáil 4 · Social Democrats 3 · Sinn Féin 2 · Green Party 2 · Labour Party 1 · Independent Ireland 1 of 32 seats; a majority needs 17.

Who are Bray’s TDs?

Wicklow elects 4 TDs: Edward Timmins (Fine Gael), Jennifer Whitmore (Social Democrats), John Brady (Sinn Féin) and Simon Harris (Fine Gael).

What was the turnout in Bray?

In Bray East, 53.4% of registered voters turned out in June 2024 (Ireland: 49.4%). In Wicklow, 67.8% in November 2024 (59.7%).

When are the next elections in Bray?

Local elections are held every five years, so the next are due in 2029, in May or June. A general election must be held within five years of the last one (November 2024), sooner if the Dáil is dissolved.

What does Wicklow County spend?

Wicklow County Council plans to spend €184.3M on day-to-day services in 2026, the most of it on housing and building.

Sources: Local and general election results 2024: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY-SA 4.0); areas matched to towns by TownRatings from Tailte Éireann boundaries and CSO Census 2022 Small Areas (CC BY 4.0). · TDs: Houses of the Oireachtas Open Data (Oireachtas PSI Licence, CC BY 4.0). · Boundaries: Tailte Éireann (CC BY 4.0); population: CSO Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0).. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).

Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).