SOCIAL Democrat Councillor Chris Heinhold received some unexpected support from Europe while on the campaign trail after a holidaying couple spotted his election posters.
A German couple, Dr Eva and Winfried Heinhold, were on vacation in West Cork when they spotted his posters on the roadside. ‘According to the German Heinholds, this is an unusual name even in their home.
‘They were shocked to see their own name on lampposts along country roads in Ireland,’ said Cllr Heinhold. They googled Cllr Chris and found an email address to reach out and see what the connection might be.
Taking a break from the election trail, Cllr Heinhold got a chance to meet Winfried and Eva over coffee at the Maritime Hotel in Bantry.
The German Heinholds were surprised to learn that Cllr Chris is not the only Heinhold in West Cork – Chris’s uncle, Fr John Heinhold is the parish priest in Skibbereen.
‘It was lovely to meet these (maybe)-cousins!’ said Cllr Heinhold.
Cllr Heinhold’s grandfather, Werner, grew up in Leipzig but moved to Ireland in 1950 and met and fell in love with an Irish woman from Crosshaven, Jane McCarthy. They had six children, the eldest of whom is Chris’s father Tim.
Cllr Heinhold was born and raised in Carrigaline, not so far away from Crosshaven, before making the move to Bantry in 2019.
‘It is a small world made smaller by election posters and chance,’ said Cllr Heinhold.
