Speakers’ Corner: Erika Doyle

Ms Doyle APR24

ith the local elections set for Friday, June 7th, we have once again sent out our Speakers’ Corner questionnaire to the local wide-eyed hopefuls.

Starting with the 11 candidates running in the Greystones Electoral Area, we’ll then open the floor to the other 6,329 upstanding Wicklow citizens currently stepping into the ring for 2024.

Up for grabs, 32 councillor seats across this great county of ours, with all the hopes and dreams – plus prestige, pressure, resentment, ridicule and mediocre pay – that such an exalted position entails.

Suffice to say, there are plenty of candidates to choose from, from the strong, silent types who simply, quietly get on with their work in the community to the loud, social media-shagging self-promoters who seem to leave little time for any actual graft. We’ve been reporting on this town daily for 12 years now, and the one thing we’ve become very, very wary of is the black arts of stolen valour. Feckers sticking their flag in other people’s hard work by racing to share the good news first on Facebook, Instagram and beyond, slyly hoovering up all the likes, thanks and praise in the process.

It’s akin to waiting at the finish line and throwing your arm around the winner for a quick selfie, owning their victory online before they’ve even had time to catch their breath.

So, whatever your party loyalties and your political leanings, it’s worth taking a moment to look beyond the glitter. These people will be your eyes and ears – and big mouth – down in Wicklow County Council, after all.

With fellow Greenie, Steven Matthews

In the meantime, on with Speakers Corner 2024, and the Bray councillor with the good intentions and the great connections, Erika Doyle. But first, a quick bio…

Councillor Doyle was co-opted to replace Deputy Steven Mathews in 2020 as a representative for Bray East on Wicklow County Council, and was voted in as Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District in the summer of 2022.

Among her priorities for the area, Cllr Doyle lists improving the liveability of the Bray district, focusing on projects like the long-awaited skate park, the greenway from Kilmac to Bray, the neighbourhood scheme on the old par 3, and extending the cycle ways from both sides of our town.  She is passionate about ensuring cycle lanes and public realm improvements that make Bray more inclusive and accessible to all are realised.

And now for those grilling, graceful, gritty agus ground-breaking GG questions…

What inspired you to become involved in local politics? Was there a Road To District Council moment…?
What inspired me to get involved in politics is a belief in fairness and equity and a love for my community. I had a period where I moved from ‘Why me?’ to ‘Why not me?’. I love my town and have been fascinated by how it works behind the scenes since my childhood days of watching the Bray world go by from my grandparents’ shop on the Main Street.

My background in local journalism gave me an insight into local politics and all the good, bad and the in-between work that was being done. When the opportunity came up for me to seek nomination I thought about it long and hard before deciding to jump in.

As a feminist with a lifelong passion for animal rights I do tick the Greenie box but my role today is to represent everybody in my constituency.

We all of us have particular needs, whether that’s due to age, disability, employment or caring demands (or just regular life!), and the challenge lies in making Bray a town that works for everybody – whether to live, study, work or simply visit.

Of your work so far, are there particular achievements that you are particularly proud of?
I’m just as proud of everyday moments of connection through my work as I am the ‘big ticket items’. For me, having a platform to engage with young people and members of my community who have perhaps not felt heard is a great honour and hugely rewarding.

Being entrusted with the views and hopes of the people of Bray is an incredible privilege and that might be via a conversation about a housing situation or a high level conversation about Bray as a whole.

Among some of the highlights were – chairing the Bray Head SAAO Management Committee through its work to develop a Bray Head Conservation Plan and shortly, a new park, supporting the introduction of the Bolt eBike scheme to Bray, sitting on the committee that successfully brought plans for a Skateboard Park to Bray, working with Deputy Steven Matthews and campaigners to change building regulations to make Changing Places bathrooms much more widespread, and as a personal honour, being elected Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District.

Looking forward, what are the main goals that you would like to achieve over the coming years?
My main goal would be to continue in my work responding to the needs of the people I represent. Every day there is a different challenge and it’s important to be flexible and realistic in your goals, and adapt where necessary. Of course, I want to put sustainability at the heart of everything I do. I want to work towards making the town easier to navigate on bike and on foot, particularly in relation to accessibility. I want the public realm spaces to be clean and safe.

I’d like to work towards rejuvenating our town centre areas and making sure our parks and green areas remain as small patches of fun, joy and biodiversity.

I want people to feel that they have a public representative who even if she can’t solve every problem, will certainly listen and do her best.

To turn a fine Mayor Quimby quote into a question, ask not what you can do for your county, but what you can do for your county…?
As for a plan B if this doesn’t work out – the first thing I’ll do is sleep, and then spend some time with my children without looking at my phone! I have a day job and a young family, so, that’s plenty to keep me busy. I would like to stay involved with my community; there is always wonderful voluntary work going on in Bray. I also have a secret ambition to write, perhaps a thinly-veiled fictional account of my time in politics. Watch this space..

Finally, Trump or Biden?
Umm, I’d have my issues with Biden but pretty much anybody is better than Trump.

You can find out more about Erika Doyle here, and follow on Instagram here or Facebook here, and get in touch directly on email here.