Looney machine revs up and takes a Fianna Fáil seat
THE electoral machine was well oiled as first time runner, Michael Looney (FF), broke into a smile early on Saturday while the tallies did the number crunching. By the time the boxes landed at County Hall and counting began, the engine began to purr gallantly.
And there was a firm smile on his face by the sixth count on Sunday as Mr Looney, a mechanic who has a car sales business in Berrings, was duly elected with a bump up of 282 transfers to bring his tally to 2,633 and above the quota of 2,474.
He was quickly flanked by well wishers and words of “sound man you are” and “never doubted you”, to a quick as a flash comment of, “you’re sucking diesel now Michael”.
As the Meatloaf line song goes, ‘Two out of Three ain’t bad,’ and that applied to Macroom Municipal District as Cllr Looney and Cllr Gobnait Moynihan were safely over the line. The third counterpart, Jason Fitzgerald, a Duhallow native who opted to run in Millstreet, wasn’t able to join in the chorus and he was eliminated on the fifth count with a vote of 616.
Mr Looney had a bumper first preference vote of 2,234. Mr Looney is a Donoughmore native but he has called Berrings home for well over three decades. In an interview after his win on Sunday evening, he readily agreed that the catchment region which was split between him and Gobnait Moynihan “geographically suited us very well indeed”.
“But outside of my own area I had to work hard as I was an unknown but, by God, I’m not now.” He said he worked 24/7 and went canvassing twice per day.
“On a personal note I think a lot of my votes were a personal vote and I am really, really thrilled as this was my first attempt at it. To get nearly 2,200 votes first preference votes is no mean achievement for anyone,” said Mr Looney.
He continued: “Canvassing and politics is nothing new to me but what was this time around is that I was the candidate. An opportunity came and I duly took it. I am just absolutely thrilled as I wasn’t known outside of my own area but I’m known now.”
“I had my ground work done and I’m a community activist and work on the ground and intend staying on the ground,” said Mr Looney.
When asked what issues popped up at the doorstep, he said they were local issues, such as roads and speed calming and footpaths.
He is married to Rena and the couple have two grown up children, Claire and Stephen. In a previous interview with The Corkman, he said that he wasn’t a registered councillor but was working exactly like one for so many years in his community. Now, Mr Looney can enjoy his new title of councillor.