Cllr Mark Cooney was unanimously elected as mayor of Athlone at the Town Council’s AGM this week.
In a surprise move, newly independant councillor, and former Fianna Fail local election candidate, Sheila Buckley Byrne joined forces with Fine Gael and become deputy mayor of Athlone Town Council
Mayor Cooney was proposed by Labour’s new councillor Jim Henson and seconded by fellow Fine Gaeler and new councillor Alan Shaw.
Speaking after his appointment as mayor, Cllr Cooney thanked his fellow councillors for the vote of confidence and their kind words of congratulations. “Fifteen years is a long apprenticeship. There have been various mayors since I became a councillor and I can say they’ve all fulfilled the role. It is my intention to follow them.”
“The role of mayor is made so much easier because of the excellent executive, particularly [town clerk] John Walsh,” he added.
Mayor Cooney went on to pay tribute to his former council members. “These people are still out there and we shouldn’t be afraid to talk to them. We have a challenging year ahead financially.”
With the election of Ruth Illingworth as mayor of Mullingar and the proposed election of Fintan Cooney as Cathaoirleach for Westmeath County Council, Fine Gael look set to take of countrol of all councils in the county.
