This article is from page 6 of the 2009-06-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
A SHOUTING match across the council chamber, name-calling and councillors refusing to take their chair was all part of the first meeting of Clare’s new county council.
It was a baptism of fire for Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) on Friday as he was named mayor of Clare, when newly re-elected councillor James Breen (Ind) got to his feet and opposed the selection process that saw the Shan- non man take the chair.
Watched by a large crowd in the public gallery, six novice councillors and two who like himself regained their lost seat, the former Fianna Fail councillor raised his first objection during the nomination process.
Cllr Mucahy was proposed for the top job in the council chamber by Cllr John Crowe (FG) and seconded by Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) as Nea ueere MO LeU MUN Tcar-U 0m or-DUR MRED I ecp
As Cllr McCarthy finished her speech of support for Cllr Mulcahy, Cllr Breen stood up and said, “I can- not support what I believe is a power sharing agreement.”
The outgoing mayor and chair of the first half of the meeting, Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) asked the coun- cillor to limit his comments to nomi- nating a candidate for mayor.
The Kilnamona councillor re- mained standing, stating he was ob- jecting to the selection process.
“Are you proposing? Then if you are not, resume your seat,” said Ms
Taylor Quinn.
With no other proposals forthcom- ing, she then deemed Cllr Mulcahy elected. Cllr Breen continued to stand, and continued to object.
“Put it on the record there is one person descending,’ Ms _ Taylor Quinn told the county secretary as she prepared to hand over the chain of office. Cllr Breen remained stand- ing as the chain was presented, much
to the distress of the new mayor’s family and friends.
During his acceptance speech, the new mayor thanked the councillors for “your almost unanimous sup- port here’. At the end of the mayor’s speech, Cllr Breen got to his feet again and, after some protest, said he wanted to wish the mayor well and again make his point.
Cllr McCarthy told the council it
was disingenuous of the councillor to say he was objecting because he was an independent councillor and accused him of turning his mobile phone off when the final deal was being agreed.
“You are a maverick. That is what you are and what you will always be,” she said and accused him of “go- ing on with baloney”.
Again Cllr Breen was on his feet demanding in a loud voice to reply to Cllr McCarthy. “This is not going to be the James Breen Road Show,” warned the mayor. He continued to ask to speak on a point of order.
Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) then took to his feet and shouted across the chamber at Cllr Breen.
“Reference the point of order’ and “respect the mayor,” he repeated.
Cllr Breen said that he wanted to decide with his election team whether he would be part of the deal to which Cllr Meaney said, “You did not know what it was.”
“You are not in Dail Eireann now,’ said Cllr Kelly.
Cllr Breen eventually took to his SorsLMre DELO MSIODN (COD
“Tam very sorry that your election has been turned into a circus by one member of the council,” said Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) to the mayor.