O’Brien is Tralee’s new Mayor
HISTORY was made on Monday when, as expected, Fine Gael Cllr Patrick O’Connor-Scarteen became the first Kenmare man in the 121-year history of Kerry County Council to be elected Cathaoirleach of the county.
The O’Connor-Scarteen political dynasty is one of the longest-serving in the country, with Cllr O’Connor-Scarteen’s grandfather, granduncle, and father having served on Kerry County Council before him. He is, however, the first member of the family to hold the Chain of Office as Mayor of Kerry.
‘‘Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet,’’ the Kenmare Councillor remarked after winning a two-man contest for the role against Sinn Féin Cllr Robert Beasley.
‘‘ The ‘ Scarteens’ are not noted for long speeches. However, please bear with me on this occasion, as we’ve been waiting three quarters of a century for this day,’’ he added.
His election as Cathaoirleach at Kerry County Council’s Annual General Meeting had been considered a sure thing beforehand following a voting pact agreed by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael following the last local elections.
Indeed, before the vote even took place in the Kerry Sports Academy, several Councillors congratulated Cllr O’Connor-Scarteen and wished him well in the role while they were acknowledging the end of Cllr Niall Kelleher’s term in the hotseat.
This irked Sinn Féin Councillor Deirdre Ferris, who later seconded her colleague Tom Barry’s proposal of Robert Beasley for the role.
‘‘Excuse my ignorance, but I was of the opinion that the Mayor was being elected today, that it wasn’t a coronation?’’ Cllr Ferris said in the minutes leading up to the vote.
When seconding Cllr Barry’s proposal, she repeated that the vote was effectively a ‘‘coronation’’.
‘‘I find that very disappointing,’’ she said. ‘‘It totally undermines the democratic process.’’
After being proposed for the role by Cllr Bobby O’Connell and seconded by Séamus ‘Cosaí’ Fitzgerald, Cllr O’Connor-Scarteen went on to win the contest by 29 votes to four, with only Sinn Féin’s four councillors voting against the 43-year-old as he became the 65th person to hold the chain of office.
Among his priorities, Cllr
O’Connor-Scarteen has vowed to promote Kerry as a safe destination for tourism amid the current global health crisis, while he backed digital hubs to support remote working, which he feels ‘‘could be a game-changer in reversing rural decline’’.
He also called for an end to Direct Provision and said ‘‘How Ireland assists refugees and asylum seekers needs to be radically changed’’. He added once again his support for Greenway projects in the county, called for improved IDA results in the county, and for the ‘‘ Tarbert/ Ballylongford land-bank [to be] utilised to its full potential’’.
Cllr O’Connor-Scarteen was joined on the day by family and extended family, including his parents – Michael and Eleanor
– and his wife, Katie, to whom he paid extensive tribute.
‘‘Although today marks the highlight of my political career, it comes nowhere near the best day of my life, when I married Katie last September,’’ he said. ‘‘Katie is full of life, she gives whatever she is involved in well over 100 per cent. I’m lucky she has a good interest in politics, and it helps she has the same persuasion,’’ he joked.
He joined his fellow Councillors in paying tribute to outgoing Cathaoirleach Niall Kelleher and Leas- Cathaoirleach Norma Moriarty.
‘‘Unfortunately [Cllr Kelleher] didn’t get to experience the second half of his term as normal, however when difficulties associated with the Coronavirus pandemic arose, he excelled in his duties,’’ he said. ‘‘He was professional and fair in his approach throughout his term.
‘‘When duty called, the outgoing Deputy Mayor, Norma Moriarty, stepped up to the mark; she is undoubtedly one of the best Councillors I have ever worked with.’’
His party colleague, Cllr Aoife Thornton, will serve as Leas- Cathaorileach after she, too, beat Cllr Beasley by 22 votes to six, with the three Healy-Rae Councillors this time voting in favour of Cllr Beasley. There were five abstentions – including Cllr Beasley, who was not present to vote for himself.
Cllrs John Francis Flynn, Donal Grady, Sam Locke, and Terry O’Brien were also absent.
CLLR Terry O’Brien has been elected Mayor of Tralee today at the annual meeting of the Tralee Municipal District.
It will be the Labour councillor’s fifth term as Mayor of Tralee Cllr O’Brien, who was first elected to Kerry County Council in 2004, said that during his term as mayor, he would focus on investment in Tralee town centre and helping Tralee and the wider Municipal District to recover from the impact of the coronavirus.
He said he looked forward to progress on a number of projects including the development of the former Denny factory site, the Tralee-Fenit Greenway, the next phase of improvements in Tralee town centre and other projects and amenities of benefit to the community.
Outgoing Mayor Cllr Jim Finucane was elected as Deputy Mayor.