Tom returns to chamber with Sinn Fein
LISTOWEL native Tom Barry is the new Sinn Fein Councillor for the Listowel Municipal District having been ratified at a party convention at the Listowel Arms Hotel on Monday evening. Tom will now replace Diane Nolan.
But the new journey will have an old feel to it for Tom as he previously served on Listowel Town Council from 2009 to 2014, also serving a term as Mayor in that time.
“I’m a party member since the mid-1990s and current chairman of the ‘O’SullivanCumann’ here in Listowel. I enjoyed my five year term on Listowel Town Council and I’m delighted and honoured to have been selected as the Sinn Fein representative to replace Diane,” said Tom.
Tom said during his previous spell as a sitting councillor he had considered going forward to Kerry County Council but at the time he had a young family and decided not to.
“As well as personal commitments, Diane had already been co-opted to KCC and she did a fantastic job. She will be missed, and I just want to wish her well in her new job. I always remained active in the Cumann and I canvassed locally with Diane and Martin Ferris. When this opportunity came around again it was hard not to take an interest in it,” added Tom.
Tom also intends to re-start a campaign he had previously been involved in the last time he sat in a council chamber: the installation of CCTV cameras in Listowel Town Centre.
“At the time we had locations picked out and it just went off the radar. I was disappointed with that and it’s something I’ll be very keen to return to. I just feel this would be beneficial from a security point of view and help make the streets in Listowel safer for everyone,” he added.
Tom (50) works in Kerry Ingredients in Listowel. He is married to Trevanne and they have three children: Caitlin, Joey and Layla. Tom is involved in many community organisations in the town and is a member of Clounmacon GAA.