This article is from page 3 of the 2011-05-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
BILL SLATTERY is set to fill the Clare County Council vacancy in the North Clare electoral, while there will be a two-way contest between Sean McLoughlin and Marinella Rafferty for the county council seat in the Shannon electoral area.
The closing date for nominations for the two county council positions was last Thursday and The Clare People has learned that Slattery, who stood for election in the 1985 and 1999 county council elections, will be unopposed for the council vacancy in North Clare, as he was the only candidate nominated for the position.
“I’m steeped in Fine Gael politics and have been a member of the party since 1977,” Mr Slattery told The Clare People this week.
He continued, “While my grandfather, Bill Murphy, was a member of the county council and a TD for 16 years between 1951 and 1967, I would be honoured to serve on Clare County Council.”
The north Clare vacancy was created by the election of Fine Gael’s Martin Conway to Seanad Éireann last month, which meant he had resign his council seat under the dual mandate rule.
A host of possible candidates were mooted for the council seat in the wake of Senator Conway’s election to the upper house of the Oireachtas on April 28 last.
These included the national president of Young Fine Gael, Eric Keane, local party activist Peter Davenport and David Quinn, son of former TD, Senator and Mayor of Clare, Madeleine Taylor Quinn.
However, Mr Slattery was the only name submitted to Clare Fine Gael Constituency secretary Sean Chambers by last Thursday’s 5pm deadline.
He will be confirmed in his new council role after a meeting of Fine Gael members of the North Clare electoral area on June 9th and his election will then be ratified by the national organisation.
It will represent fourth time lucky for the Lahinch man – he first stood for election in 1985 when he polled 645 first preferences, while in 1999 he polled 573 votes.
In 1995, he was the Fine Gael candidate for the vacancy caused by the death of party colleague Frank Henchy, but was election was blocked by Fianna Fáil who used their then council majority to elect Tom Burke instead.
Meanwhile, this Thursday a tight vote is expected in the race to succeed former Mayor of Clare, Tony Mulcahy as a member of the council for the Shannon Electoral area.