Margaret Guijt-Lawlor

Welcome from Margaret Guijt-Lawlor

My name is Margaret Guijt-Lawlor and I am contesting the forthcoming elections to Laois County Council. I am a native of Portarlington, daughter of Lauri and Mary Lawlor of Kilbride. After living abroad for eighteen years, I moved home to Ireland and settled back into the community with my husband and son five years ago.


I have a strong commitment to my local community and because of my involvement in
For the past three years I have been the PRO for the Portarlington St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee. We are a small committee of hard working people who fundraise and organize a great Paddy’s Day, full of entertainment for the whole community.

I am an active helper and a Bocca (bowls) official with the Special Olympics in Portarlington. This year we have required the facilities in the Community Centre to set up two Bocca mats where the athletes can play the game and take part in competitions. They are also used by the Active Retirement Group and are a great source of enjoyment in the Centre.

I have been an active member of the Portarlington Rugby Club and the Youth Co-ordinator for two of those years. Having a teenager myself I am acutely aware of the pressures our youth are facing today and while I consider myself very lucky that my son enjoys playing a sport and is part of a team, however there are a lot more kids that don’t. The PCDA together with the Community Centre are extending their premises for a youth centre which will be a great asset to the town and I will be giving my full support into getting this project up and running.

I have been a member of the Portarlington Town Forum for the past two years and secretary this year. The town faces challenges in relation to infrastructure, water, sewage, flooding, etc. One of our achievements so far, has been the agreement by the local Councillors of the Offaly and Laois side to meet quarterly and address the issues that affect the Town as a whole. The ultimate goal of the Town Forum is to introduce a Town Council that will represent both the Laois and Offaly side of the Town.

One of the deciding factors for me to run was the decision by the County Council, supported by our local councillors to rezone three areas of flood plains in Portarlington for development. Certainly in light of the consistent flooding we have had over the past year and the thousands of euros in damages to houses and property in the town, it has become apparent that this decision would have a disastrous affect should it be allowed to happen. I will be advocating for this decision to be reversed and more attention to be focused on better drainage throughout the county so we can protect all our existing homes and properties from further flood damage.

I look forward to getting to meet everyone in the constituency from Portarlington right up to Stradbally over the next few months.