MAYORALTY BATTLE
Speculation is mounting that Fianna Fáil’s Seamus Kilgannon could be the next Mayor of Sligo Municipal District.
Though he appears to be facing opposition from one of the party’s long standing councillors if he’s to get the chain of office.
It’s Fianna Fáil’s turn to make the nomination for Mayor from its three councillors, Tom MacSharry, Rosaleen O’Grady and Seamus Kilgannon.
While the Municipal authority has only been in existence since 2014 with the old Borough Council abolished and with it the prestige of being called Mayor of Sligo, the position is still sought after.
It is understood that Cllr Kilgannon is interested in becoming Mayor having never held the honour before at either Borough Council or Municpal Council level.
Cllr MacSharry was Mayor once of the Borough Council in 2006 and was the first Mayor of the Municipal District in 2014.
Cllr O’Grady was Mayor of the Borough Council on three occasions, in 199, 2055 and 2011 and it is believed she may be interested in the party’s nomination once more.
The fact both Cllr O’Grady and Cllr MacSharry have held the office of Mayor in the past is leading to speculation within the party that Cllr Kilgannon could be the preferred option. He was elected chairman of the County Council in 2017 and is seen a very popular member of the party.
There was controversy in late 2013 when he failed to get a party nomination to contest the local elections in the Sligo Mu- nicipal District but he was later added as a fourth candidate and himself, Cllr O’Grady and Cllr MacSharry were elected with Donal Gilroy losing out.
Cllr O’Grady was first elected to the Borough Council and County Council in 1999.