Life beyond Kells...Caffrey calls for name change to municipal district of North Meath

The Kells Local Electoral Area (LEA) needs a name change according to a local councillor.

Sinn Fein's Cllr Peter Caffrey, who is based in Oldcastle wants to the municipal district renamed, as it causes considerable confusion in North Meath.

“The county doesn't end at Kells. I have proposed that we rename it Kells, Athboy, Oldcastle Municipal District so that constituents understand what LEA they are in.

“There is a lot of confusion. A lot of people don't realise that Oldcastle or Athboy are in the Kells electoral area. It is particularly confusing for people as Oldcastle and Athboy are in the Meath West Dail constituency but Kells is in Meath East, yet all three are in the Kells LEA.

“When canvassing, I came across a lot of people in the towns of Athboy and Oldcastle and the rural areas in between who said they weren’t sure what district they were in.”

He said voters saw candidates for the Kells LEA on election posters, but didn't realise that included Oldcastle or Athboy.

“The name favours one town, Kells, over the others. More work needs to go into informing people what local electoral area they are in and a way of doing this would be to include the town names Oldcastle and Athboy.

“Many people I talk to feel like Meath County Council always focus on the larger towns. This is clear when it comes to funding given for Christmas lights, supports with the tidy towns groups etc. The larger towns always seem to be given priority over the others,” he said.

“It’s clear when you look at the roads in North Meath, that Oldcastle is forgotten about.

Late last year, Cllr Caffrey proposed the name change at a meeting of the LEA. He called on Meath County Council to write to the Electoral Commission to change the name to Kells, Athboy, Oldcastle Municipal District or “other similar options to be a more inclusive name for constituents to better engage with local politics”.

It was also suggested at that meeting to called it North Meath Local Electoral Area.

Councillors were told that LEAs were named after the biggest town in the area, but the council chamber does not have to be located there.

The council subsequently wrote to the Minister for Local Government requesting consideration be given to renaming the LEA.

In response the Minister said the current configurations and names of local electoral areas and of municipal districts have applied since the 2019 local elections, and followed a review of local electoral area boundaries conducted in two parts, both published in 2018.

“The proposal made by the elected members of the Kells Municipal District for consideration to be given to a change in the name of this Municipal District has been noted.

“The Programme for Government commits to the establishment of a ‘Local Democracy Taskforce’ with the local government sector to finalise a programme for the reform and strengthening of local government. The Government approved the establishment of the Taskforce on 4th June 2025, and the

Taskforce will bring forward proposals which the Government will consider on matters relating to the structure, finance, functions and governance and accountability of local government. These proposals will be considered by the Minister and his government colleagues in due course.”