GANG OF FIVE POISED TO ELECT O DONOVAN?
The race to be the next Mayor of Fermoy is on this week as the councillors prepare for their annual general meeting and the election of a new council chairperson on Tuesday next.
Talk from the town hall seems to centre on the prospect of Cllr Tadgh O’Donovan taking the chain but it is also believed that Cllr Michael Hanley will place his hat very firmly in the ring.
However, a council source, who wishes to remain anonymous, has told The Avondhu that not everybody is happy with the prospect of O’Donovan taking the mayoral chain of office once again: “This is an opportunity to give the council and the town a new mayor, one who is not part of the ‘Gang of Five’ that seem to pass the chain around as if it was their right to do so.”
“We have had, in my opinion, two good mayors over the last couple of years and now it seems we are going back to the same old system of ‘it’s your turn this year’.”
UNDECIDED VOTERS
Cllr Seamus Coleman (SF) is undecided as to who he will vote for. “I will not be running myself, as for who I will vote for I really don’t know at the moment. Nobody has approached me looking for my vote so far, so I am completely undecided,” Cllr Coleman said.
Cllr Noel McCarthy (Lab) said that he did not know who would be running for the office this year, “Nobody has approached me yet but I believe that Cllr Hanley and Cllr O’Donovan are interested in the job. If Cllr O’Donovan is running then as a Labour Party member I will be offering him my support to his bid for the office of mayor,” Cllr McCarthy said.
Cllr Aileen Pyne (FG) has not ruled out running for mayor herself.
“I don’t know what I am going to do at the moment,” Cllr Pyne said.
However, the councillor would not be drawn as to who she would support in a battle between Cllr O’Donovan and Cllr Hanley.
“On that issue I am very undecided,” Cllr Pyne, concluded. Supporting Hanley Cllr Olive Corcoran (FF) is very definite as to whom she will support for Mayor of Fermoy, “ As far as I am aware only two councillors are putting their names forward and I will be supporting the deputy mayor, Cllr Michael Hanley.
"However, if I had my way I would like to see a new councillor in the chair but that is never going to happen. Every councillor, if they were honest knows exactly who they are going to vote for. Why can’t there be more straight talking in Fermoy Town Council,” Cllr Corcoran said.
Cllr Colette Dolan-Moore (FF) would also like to see a new face at the top table. “I am undecided at the moment but I would like to see other councillors get a chance at representing the town as mayor,” Cllr Dolan-Moore said.
MURPHY MIGHT RUN
Cllr John Murphy (Ind FF) is considering running for the office himself. “I am undecided as to who I will vote for but I have not ruled myself out as candidate yet,” Cllr Murphy said.
Deputy Mayor Michael Hanley (Ind) has confirmed that he is running for the position of Fermoy town mayor: “I have to presume that the chair will pass to myself as per the shared understanding that whoever get the highest number of first preference votes will be elected. I received the next highest number in the last election,” Cllr Hanley said.
However, Cllr Tadgh O’Donovan (Lab) told The Avondhu that he is “totally undecided” as to whether he will contest the election for mayor, “I haven’t thought about it, it’s a long way off yet and, right now, I am undecided,” Cllr O’Donovan said.
Published:
Thursday 16th June 7:54pm
