This article is from page 13 of the 2012-07-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
EAST Clare County Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald made history on Friday when he was the first Labour councillor to be elected to office in County Clare.
The man from Westbury was named deputy mayor at the end of Clare County Council’s AGM.
In a heart felt speech, the new deputy mayor paid tribute to his daughter Joyce who he said was the one who encouraged him to run for public office.
“It is a hard game and we are in hard times,” he said.
Among his colleagues in the council chamber Cllr Fitzgerald was recognised as the man who fought off Limerick’s attempt to take over lands in Westbury, Meelick and East Clare. “It was not just me at the bridge who told Limerick ‘no’,” he said.
“We don’t just recognise parties we recognise people,” he said of Clare County Council.
Cllr Fitzgerald said the biggest issue facing the council during the next political year was Shannon Airport.
He said it was essential to the future of the county.
The East Clare councillor was nominated to the position by Independent county councillor and former mayor
Cllr Patricia McCa
rthy. She said she was
happy to nominated
him as he was from
an “isolated part of
County Clare” that
is very much part of
the county. She said it was
also appropriate for
a Labour council
lor to hold office
in Clare County
Council for the first
time this year – the
year of the party’s
centenary.
Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind), who like Cllr McCarthy is also a former member of the Labour Party seconded Cllr Fitzgerald to the position of deputy mayor declaring he had the qualities and experience necessary to hold such a position.