Church sacristan on FF ticket in local elections
Church sacristan Colin Murphy has confirmed his intention to stand as a Wexford town candidate for Fianna Fáil in the upcoming local elections in May
Murphy who has lived in Green Street all his life, is well-known through his day job as the sacristan at Bride Street Church and as a stage manager for music, drama and pantomime productions in his spare time.
Fascinated by politics from an early age, he was greatly influenced by life-long family friend, the late Gus Byrne and became a member of the Fianna Fail party as a young man in 1999.
His appetite for the campaign trail was whetted when he canvassed for the successful election of Cllr. Tony Dempsey who is the current Mayor of Wexford whom he admires as a gifted and inspirational public speaker.
Murphy previously stood as a local election candidate in 2009 and described that first political outing as a learning curve, saying he needed the decade of experience he has gained since then.
‘Local politics is about people, about improving their normal daily lives in the community, their safety, their need of a home and their mental and physical health’, he said.
He underlined the importance of having a Fianna Fail councillor in Wexford town, which has been lacking since the tragic loss of the muchloved Fergie Kehoe who died in April 2016.
‘I am running for election to Wexford Council because I genuinely care about the town, it’s people and its future’, he said.
‘I believe in a culture of inclusivity and of fostering new hope from the ground up, in uniting a rural and urban commuinity to move forward as a progressive dynamic town.’
The Fianna Fail candidate said he wants to tackle issues around mental health and the trauma of Wexford families who have lost loved ones to suicide, by beginning with programmes for young children in school.
He believes that the beating heart of any town is its main street and the family businesses that have existed for years, need to be nourished and supported.
‘Rates, online shopping and a decreasing footfall as people travel to shop outside the area have contributed to the frustrations of business owners who are struggling to stay afloat in a sea of uncertainty’, he said.