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 is just one candidate to date declared to run in the local election from the largest urban area in West Clare.
Two of the town’s urban councillors have however indicated that they may join their colleague Cllr Marian McMahon Jones (FG) in the race as independent candidates.
Cllr Ian Lynch (FG), who was unsuccessful at his party’s convention last October said he would take time over Christmas to consider running as an Independent candidate in the Clare County Council election.
Meanwhile Tom Prendeville (FF) has not ruled out also going it alone next May if he is not added to the Fianna Fáil ticket, having also been unsuccessful at his party’s convention.
Cllr Lynch said, “I was disappointed that Fine Gael did not add me to the ticket but as the newest member it was always going to be tough to get the nomination through convention.”
Wishing Cllr McMahon well, who was added to the ticket last week, he said, “I’m getting an awful lot of contact from people disappointed I was not added and there has been considerable advice to run independent. I do feel there is a great hunger out there for a young candidate that will represent the entire West Clare area.
“At the end of the day my role is to represent the people. A lot of support is coming in for me and I believe I can represent the people and if the hunger for a young candidate is on the ground I will have to take all things into consideration,” he said.
The councillor also admitted that dividing the town vote between a lot of candidates is a concern, and could cost the urban area a representative.
Cllr Prendeville, who failed to be selected at the Fianna Fáil party convention said he was approached by a senior member of the party and asked if he wanted to be added to the ticket. He also has not ruled out run- ning independently.
Following the announcement of the successful candidates at last Monday night’s convention, he said he was disappointed not to have made the cut and added that the party had a serious problems in urban areas.
“Fianna Fáil has a problem; and has a big problem; has an organisational problem. For example within our town of Kilrush there is no registered members within five or six miles. I know we have two beside us but they are attached to another cumann up the road. We haven’t got the members.
“People aren’t coming forward so don’t be lulled into a false sense of security and say everything is ok,” he told delegates.
“We are in trouble, big big trouble in the urban areas and tonight does nothing to rectify that.”
“We effectively tonight sent out a message that we are a rural organisation in our constituency, and it is inconceivable to think that where we have the municipal capital of the new electoral area we won’t have a Fianna Fáil candidate,” he said.
Chariman of the Fianna Fáil convnetion Nial Collins TD asked the delegates had to ask themselves why there wasn’t a strong membership in Kilrush and rectify the situation for themselves.