This article is from page 57 of the 2009-06-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 57 JPG
MICHAEL Hillery cut an emotional figure in the West County Hotel on Saturday night.
It was for himself after five years out of elected office in a place called the political wilderness; it was for his family that’s steeped in this game of chance called politics like no other clan in Clare; it was for his late uncle Paddy who was his guiding light, in life, in death and always.
No wonder there was more than a hint of a tear or two, or maybe more as he passed the winning post just before 10pm when returning officer Michael McNamara uttered the words he had waited five years to hear: “As Michael Hillery has exceeded the quota, I deem him elected”.
Hillery knew many hours before that he was on the way back to elected politics, and to say he was glad was an understatement, but it wasn’t the Hillery way to be demonstrative and jump around, even if he was jumping around inside as he took a few sec- onds out from the maelstrom around him to explain the meaning of it all.
“It means an awful to me. For myself and being part of a political family. Trying to make sure that the Hillery name continued to have a role in politics meant a huge amount to me. I was desperate to keep the Hillery name up there and to the forefront of the political system,’ he said.
“Thad 19 years done before I lost my seat in 2004. After thinking about it for a while I decided I’d have another go and I started working towards that by doing a lot of community work. I
worked my way back — that work has paid off for me in this election.
“There was always Hillery in poli- tics, whether in the Dail, the Sen- ate, the presidency or in local coun- cils. I wanted to make sure that that still was the case after this election. Keeping on the Hillery political dy- nasty was huge for me.
“There was great goodwill on the doorstep — that feeling from people
that they owed it to the Hillery name to have a Hillery elected. I am grate- ful for that and very proud of that and the place that the Hillery name has in politics.
“Paddy Hillery was my idol — I looked up to him and what he had achieved. I felt that if I could get back in a year after he passed away it would be further recognition of what he had done in the county and
the country. I’d say that he gave me a helping hand from above,” he added.
Of that Cllr Michael Hillery was convinced.