This article is from page 78 of the 2008-07-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 78 JPG
CLARE County Council made his- tory yesterday (Monday) when it elected its first ever Fine Gael mayor in the lifetime of the council.
Councillor Madeleine ‘Taylor Quinn (FG) was also the first mayor to be elected in the new purpose built council chambers.
The former TD and senator was elected unopposed having been pro- posed by fellow west Clare Fine Gael councillor Oliver Garry and second- ed by Ennis councillor Tommy Bren- nan (Ind).
The election of the west Clare woman Sees the end of an agreement brokered by Cllr Brennan to rotate the role of mayor during the term of this council.
In proposing Cllr Taylor Quinn as first citizen Cllr Garry said that she along with her late father Frank had provided 54 years of unbroken serv- ice to Clare County Council.
Madeleine’s mother Ann Rita sat in the packed public gallery watching the occasion with Madeleine’s hus- band George, sons David and Eoin, other family members and friends, including Fine Gael Deputy Joe
Carey.
Taking the chair Cllr Taylor Quinn paid tribute to her predecessor Cllr Patricia McCarthy. “You took on the office with energy, enthusiasm and commitment,” she said.
“Tt is said that “Politics is the Art of the Possible” and belatedly I am beginning to support this theory. When first elected to this council it would not have remotely occurred to me that one day I might be Chairman or Mayor of Clare County Council. Fine Gael councillors never held the office, so it is with humility and thoughtful regard for all those who
served here in the past, some still with us, others deceased that I take on the mantle of the mayoralty,” she added.
Councillors from all parties and areas congratulated Clare’s first ever Fine Gael mayor.
They also paid tribute to the hard and dedicated work of the outgoing mayor Cllr McCarthy, and to Cllr Tommy Brennan for organising and securing the rotation deal.
Cllr Martin Conway (FG) told the new mayor “Your commitment, your integrity and performance in politics can never be in doubt.”
Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) told her that she “may have been elected in the west but you are respected in the rest.”
In congratulating the mayor Cllr Pascal Fitzgerald quipped, “I feel sorry for your husband George, he has to do the washing, ironing and everything else,” he said.
Cllr Colm Wiley (FF) reminded councillors that it was the last AGM they will have as the current coun- cil.
“In this last year let us all pull to- gether for the people of Clare, those that elected us and the mayor.”