This article is from page 56 of the 2009-01-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 56 JPG
that he has not yet decided which electoral area he will stand in, but will make the announcement in the coming weeks.
The colourful politician took some time to consider his future after los- ing his seat to Fine Gael’s Joe Carey in last May’s General Election.
The Kilnamona man was never too far from the world of politics howev- er, as he remained a regular attendee at public meetings and kept a firm in- terest in the Ennis General Hospital Development Committee and MRSA and Families Network.
Having previously served as a Fi- anna Fail councillor in the Ennisty- mon electoral area, it may be prudent for the Kilnamona native to consider Ennis West this time around, as the boundary changes could see most of his area in the new Ennis electoral area.
Mr Breen was elected as an In-
dependent candidate to the Dail in 2002, after leaving the Fianna Fail party when he failed to get the party pLeveaupar-la(eyee
His formative years growing up in Kilnamona had a strong influence on his later life.
Although not politically active his father was a Fine Gael supporter while his mother’s allegiance was to Fianna Fail.
Throughout his early life he took an interest in political life but de- scribed himself as a freelancer at the time with no allegiance to a particu- lar party.
In 1966 he was approached to form a local cumann for Fianna Fail.
In 1979 he ran for local election on the Fianna Fail ticket and while he was not elected at that stage he was successful in 1985.
The Kilnamona man represented the party in Clare until 2002.
On February 11, 2002 James walked away from the Soldiers of Destiny after 36 years and decided to march alone when he did not make the party ticket.
He will begin the march again – door-to-door next year.