BUSINESSWOMAN O’DONNELL’S BID TO BECOME MAYOR
THE widow of former Fine Gael minister and MEP Tom O’Donnell has put herself forward to be the first directly elected Mayor of Limerick. Businesswoman Helen O’Donnell yesterday launched her Independent bid for the historic role which will carry an annual salary of in the region of €152,000. Ms O’Donnell, 63, who is aunt of sitting Limerick Fine Gael Minister of State at Local Government and Planning, Deputy Kieran O’Donnell, pledged to campaign for ‘empowering our community for change’. A Co. Sligo native, she married Tom O’Donnell in 1984 in Rome, when she was 23 and he was 58, and, despite their 35-year age gap they were a loyal, happy and dynamic couple, with one son, Tom Jnr. Ms O’Donnell said, in a statement issued yesterday: ‘The basis of my leadership strategy will be to fast-track the economic regeneration of Limerick City and County.
‘My priority will be to deliver better housing, transport and environmental services – faster and more efficiently.’
Ms O’Donnell is a former honorary national secretary of Fine Gael with almost 30 years experience ‘running one of Limerick’s best-loved institutions’ – the Hunt Café at the Hunt Museum, and Dolmen Catering.
Ms O’Donnell pledged: ‘If elected, I will work with all of the elected representatives, and with Limerick City and County Council, to deliver a budget of almost €1billion that will target the most pressing needs of the people of Limerick.’
The race is now hotting up, after Fianna Fáil also put forward their contender last night. Others who have declared their candidacy include Limerick City Green TD Brian Leddin; John Moran, former head of the Land Development Agency and secretary of the Department of Finance under former minister Michael Noonan.
Ruairí Fahy of People Before Profit has said that he intends to stand in the election.
Yesterday, Fianna Fáil’s Deputy Willie O’Dea stood alongside his party leader Micheál Martin, and Deputy Niall Collins, together with Dee Ryan, chief of Limerick Chamber, as they officially endorsed Ms Ryan as Fianna Fáil’s only candidate for the directly elected mayor contest, which takes place on June 7 along with local and European elections.
Mr Martin described Ms Ryan as an ‘outstanding candidate’ with the ‘ambition’ and ‘vision’ that Limerick required.
‘I’ll work with all representatives’