Labour branch in Tralee wants to disband

June 1995

MEMBERS of the powerful James Connolly Labour Party branch Boherbee want their branch disbanded because they feel they were shabbily treated prior to the party convention to select a replacement for the late Michael O’Regan on Tralee Town Council.

Tralee Legal Aid Centre solicitor, Miriam McGillicuddy, was unanimously endorsed at the selection convention in the Labour Party Offices in Rock Street on Saturday night.

However, Boherbee Branch Chairman, Jim Tansley, said that his branch received just two days notice of the meeting and their four delegates were unable to attend because they received such short notice.

“Even boyscouts get better notice of a meeting. After all there was no hurry and we wonder if it is constitutional within the party to hold a convention at such short notice,” he said.

Mr Tansley was to have been the Boherbee branch candidate at the selection convention in opposition to Ms McGillicuddy who was nominated by the Oakpark branch. It is understood that delegates from the remaining three branches in Tralee were all mandated to vote for Ms McGillicuddy.

Mr Tansley said that he has been approached by disillusioned party members who now want to disband the Boherbee branch. The late Cllr Michael O’Regan who will be replaced on Tralee Town Council by Ms McGillicuddy was chairman of the Boherbee branch. However, he rejected the call for disbandment.

“I have no intention of disbanding the branch, quite the contrary we will go on to get even stronger,” said Mr Tansley.

He said that they would not challenge the constitutionality of the selection convention and said he wished Ms McGillicuddy the best and said he believed she would make an excellent Labour party councillor.