This article is from page 10 of the 2013-12-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
THERE are no new Fianna Fáil faces on the West Clare ballot paper for next year’s local elections as five sitting county councillors were returned to contest the new Municipal District election.
Cllr Bill Chambers, Cllr Michael Hillery, Cllr Pat Keane, Cllr PJ Kelly and Cllr Richard Nagle will all be on the ticket come next summer following the party’s convention in the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point on Monday night. Councillors Nagle and Hillery were selected automatically following a directive from Fianna Fáil’s National Constituency Committee that two candidates were to come from the Ennistymon area.
The remaining six candidates from the Kilrush area, that included three sitting councillors as well as Kilrush town councillor Tom Prendeville, Michael O’Neill and Rita McInerney, went before the delegates for selection.
A decisive vote saw Cllr Kelly and Cllr Keane pass the quota in the first vote and their surplus brought fellow councillor Bill Chambers safely over the mark.
The five candidates will now go forward and represent the party in the eight seat West Clare Municipal Area elections.
The longest serving member of the council, Cllr Kelly, does not believe ‘the line up’ is complete as yet, believing another candidate will be added.
Total poll: 156. Quota: 40.
First vote: Bill Chambers 32; Pat Keane 50; PJ Kelly 51; Rita McInerney 1; Michael O’Neill 15; Tom Prendeville 7.
Second count (PJ Kelly surplus): B Chambers +6 (38); R McInerney +1 (2); M O’Neill +3 (18); T Prendeville +1 (8). (R McInerney and T Prendeville eliminated).
Third count (P Keane surplus); B Chambers + 6 (44); M O’Neill +1 (19).