Redwood steps down from Fingal County Council for health reasons

Castleknock councillor Helen Redwood has announced she will be stepping down from her seat on Fingal County Council at the end of August.

In a statement, the Solidarity councillor said she was resigning from her role on the council for health reasons.

The party said that Redwood was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and is undergoing “intensive” treatment for the illness.

Redwood said it was “unfortunate” that she has to step down from the role, and said, “I want to thank everyone I interacted with as a councillor and all of the Fingal County Council staff.”

Redwood first ran for Fingal County Council in 2004 in the Mulhuddart constituency as a member of the Socialist Party alongside Ruth Coppinger.

Coppinger was elected to Fingal County Council on that occasion, but Redwood was not; despite this, she remained a dedicated local activist for over 20 years.

Her time in electoral politics finally arrived after being co-opted onto the council in early 2025 following Ruth Coppinger’s re-election to the Dáil in the 2024 general election.

In her time on the council, she was among the main voices against the protests against the Manna drone delivery service on a council level, and led a motion which banned fox hunting on Fingal County Council land in 2025.

The party noted that Redwood was opposed to the demolition of the homes in Fortlawn, which has become a contentious topic in council meetings and among local residents, pledged support to rejuvenate the old schoolhouse in Clonsilla alongside other councillors, looked to establish refugee spaces in the Dublin 15 area and was opposed to what she called data centre “proliferation.”

Coppinger paid tribute to Redwood, saying “Helen has been a stalwart community activist for decades, and was a brilliant representative throughout her time on Fingal County Council.”

The party said they will announce Redwood’s successor on Fingal County Council in September.