Gearóid Murphy secures vacant FF Kanturk/Mallow council seat
AFTER months of waiting and speculation the Fianna Fail seat of Cork County Council’s Kanturk/Mallow committee has been filled following last Friday’s co-option convention at Mallow’s Hibernian Hotel.
The seat, which had been vacant since last September following the resignation of Daniel Fitzgerald, has been filled by 28-year-old Dromtariffe barrister Gearóid Murphy who was formally co-opted onto the local authority last Monday at County Hall.
As had been anticipated the co-option convention was a hotly contested affair between Mr Murphy, former county councillor Bart Donegan, Rosarie Flaherty from Mallow and Buttevant’s Paul Guinane.
The convention was well-attended, with 170 of the 220 party members from within the Kanturk/Mallow area eligible to vote in attendance.
The first count saw Mr Donegan receive 61 votes, Mr Murphy 55, Ms Flaherty 39 and Mr Guinane 15, with the latter eliminated.
The result of the second count left Mr Donegan with 73 votes, Mr Murphy on 57 and Ms Flaherty on 40, with the latter eliminated. The third and final count saw Mr Murphy secure 83 votes – just a single vote ahead of his rival with the final tally confirmed after an automatic recount.
Speaking following his co-option Cllr Murphy said he felt “extremely honoured” to have been selected by his fellow party members to represent the Kanturk/Mallow district on the council.
“I would like to sincerely thank the members of Fianna Fáil in the district who welcomed me into their homes during the campaign and listened to my platform. I would also like to pay tribute to the other three candidates, all of whom ran excellent campaigns and I look forward to working closely with them in the future,” he said.
Cllr Murphy went on to pay tribute to the work of the late Cllr Dan Joe Fitzgerald who had held the seat for many years prior to his passing in March 2016.
“In accordance with my campaign pledge, one of my first tasks will be to move my residence to Mallow town, which Cllr Fitzgerald represented with such distinction for so many years. Now is when the real work begins, and I will need to use all of the experience I gained as a barrister and through my involvement in Fianna Fáil to do justice to Dan Joe’s legacy,” said Cllr Murphy.
“Running for co-option has been a fantastic experience and I look forward to working with our talented team in County Hall to deliver for the people of the Kanturk/Mallow district,” he added.