BREAKING: Long-serving Fine Gael councillor announces he will not contest local elections

Long-serving Tipperary county councillor Noel Coonan has annoucned that he will not be contsting next year's local elections.

Cllr Coonan, from Clonmore, who was first elected to North Tipperary County Council in 1991, made his decision known at a Fine Gael meeting in Templemore last night.

He also also elected to Templemore Town Council, serving as Mayor of Templemore.

The move is bound to be another blow to the party in north Tipperary, with Cllr Ger Darcy from Nenagh, also deciding not to stand.

Cllr Coonan was elected to the Seanad in 2002 and to the Dáil in 2007 and again in 2011 before losing his seat in 2016.

He ran for Tipperary County Council in 2019 and said he had enjoyed his time back in politics, especially after losing his wife, former councillor Pauline Coonan, and his Dáil seat.

Cllr Coonan said running in 2019 was "the best thing I ever did. It got me back out meeting people and I realised there were a lot of people worse off than I am."

He has served as leas-Chathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council.

With Fine Gael having no TD in Tipperary for the last two Dáils, Cllr Coonan said the party needed a "shake-up" in the county.

Already, councillors Ger Darcy, Seamus Hanafin and Hughie McGrath have announced they will not be running next June, and they are sure to be joined by others.

"There are a lot of good people not running, a lot of great characters," said Cllr Coonan.