Shadow of notorious predator hovers over the election of the new mayor of Waterford city

Councillors spoke about the death of paedophile Bill Kenneally at the June meeting of the Metro Council, June 18, 2026.

The shadow of one of the most notorious predators in the Irish state hovered over the election of the new Mayor of Waterford City. 

On Thursday, June 18, paedophile Bill Kenneally died in prison at the age of 75 while serving a prison sentence for abusing children. He died just as the commission into his crimes revealed a decades-long campaign of concealment, secrecy and mismanagement of allegations.