Social Democrats councillor Caroline Winstanley is the new Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council.<\/p>\n
Cllr Winstanley, who represents Bray West, was elected to the position at today\u2019s AGM of Wicklow County Council.<\/p>\n
Cllr Winstanley, who lives in Bray with her husband and two children, has been a councillor since winning a seat in the 2024 Local Elections. She is a qualified speech and language therapist who works with autistic people and adults with disabilities.<\/p>\n
Speaking after accepting the mayoral chain of office, Cllr Winstanley said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very proud moment for me and my family. Being elected Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council is an honour I never could have imagined when I first put my name on the ballot two years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be the first Social Democrat to hold this position on the council makes it all the more special.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m grateful to my fellow councillors for placing their trust in me and, most of all, to the people of Bray who voted for me to represent them. I will carry out this role with fairness, dedication and a deep commitment to serving every corner of this county.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jennifer Whitmore, the Social Democrats TD for Wicklow, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cCaroline\u2019s election as Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council today is a very proud moment for the Social Democrats. Caroline is so deserving of this role and I am incredibly proud of her.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince her election as a councillor in 2024, she has worked tirelessly to make a positive difference to people\u2019s lives in Wicklow.<\/p>\n
“Caroline\u2019s professional background \u2013 as a speech and language therapist who also works within the disability sector \u2013 is deeply rooted in community service. \u00a0Even before becoming a councillor, she had a strong record of working on behalf of local people, communities and organisations, and she has proven herself as someone who cares deeply and will put in the effort to get things done.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that, as Cathaoirleach, she will continue to be a strong voice for all of Wicklow when it comes to the many challenges facing our local communities, in areas such as housing, childcare, transport, healthcare, disability, and the environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cCaroline\u2019s election today as Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council caps off an incredible few weeks for the Social Democrats, with Daniel Ennis winning a seat in the Dublin Central by-election and M\u00edde Nic Fhionnlaoich doubling the party\u2019s vote in Galway West.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a TD for the Wicklow constituency, I will continue to work closely with Caroline to achieve better outcomes for everyone who calls this wonderful county their home.\u201d<\/p>\n
June 15, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Social Democrats councillor Caroline Winstanley is the new Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council. Cllr Winstanley, who represents Bray West, was elected to the position at today\u2019s AGM of Wicklow County Council. Cllr Winstanley, who lives in Bray with her husband and two children, has been a councillor since winning a seat in the 2024 Local […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18308,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[719,268,7,862],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-caroline-winstanley","category-jennifer-whitmore","category-press-release","category-wicklow"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n