Career
He was a senator from May to November 1982, and then a Teachta Dála (Territorial Decoration) from November 1982 to 1987. He was first elected to Kilkenny County Council in 1974 for the Piltown local electoral area, and was a councillor until 2009. Dowling"s home village of Newrath is near the county border with County Waterford, and Waterford city adjoins the border.
The city was seeking to expand northwards across the River Suir onto land which is part of County Kilkenny, and sought a revision of the county boundaries to enable this.
Dowling was a strong opponent of such expansion, describing the county boundary as “sacrosanct”. When the proposal was formally made in 2005, he said “We will not be satisfied with any extension.
We will not give an inch.” The plan was rejected by Kilkenny councillors in December that year, but in October 2007 Waterford city council was preparing a revised plan.