Now it’s down to the real business
The shouting is over, posters have been stashed away and now it’s down to the real business for the next five years for Mayo’s councils. And it’s going to be a tough five years for our councillors. For the truth of the matter is that there is no money in the cashbox.
Allocations for road improvements in Mayo have been cut to the bone; the long promised N5 between Bohola and Westport will remain a pipe dream despite the fact that millions of euro have been spent on preparatory works for this long-awaited highway. The relief road between Newport Road, Castlebar, and the N5 at Newtown has hardly got past the design stage. Another victim of the Government’s guillotine.
So that’s the scenario facing our intrepid councillors. And the situation come September will be of a more gruesome nature. Hours upon hours will be spent discussing cutbacks and demands will be made for a better deal for Mayo. All to no avail. For money is the determining factor, the lifeblood of local councils. Without an adequate supply of cash most major environmental schemes will grind to a halt.
But life and local government plods along and the best will have to be made of a bad situation.
It’s past time that some common sense was brought into the naming of council bosses, chairpersons if you like. Castlebar Town Council took the sensible decision some years ago to give the title mayor to the Town Council chairman; Westport has stuck with the old title of chairman or cathaoirleach, it’s difficult at times to know which is the right appellation.
Ballina’s Town Council’s boss is given the title méara. Mayo County Council has rigidly adhered to cathaoirleach, though chairman is used as often as this latter title. Perhaps the title mayor should be used across the board; I doubt very much if visiting dignitaries from European countries know what the other titles mean.
But I digress. Let’s get back to the meat of local politics. Fine Gael and Independents swept the boards in Mayo’s local elections. Fine Gael caused something of a surprise in Castlebar when they bypassed Labour’s Harry Barrett and gave the chair to Independent Michael Kilcoyne, poll topper by an Irish mile. Kilcoyne deserves the accolade for his super performances at town and county level. But with Fine Gael and Labour divvying up the spoils after the next general election one felt that Barrett might have got the nod over Kilcoyne.
But all’s fair in love and war. And politics. And to be honest, it would be wrong if Kilcoyne didn’t get the chair at some stage during the life of the council. One wonders what Labour boss Eamon Gilmore thinks of this turn of events. Perhaps he will have a word with Enda. We doubt it somehow.
Down Ballina way Mary Kelly is the queen of the town council and in the process Fine Gael have been bypassed. This is a right royal snub for Michelle Mulherin, who must have enviously eyed the crown, particularly as she will be having a head-to-head with Minister Dara Calleary at the next general election. I expect Mulherin will have a right set-do with young Calleary in that particular joust. Interesting times ahead.
Flynn house in disarray
One wonders where Beverley Flynn stands in this particular jigsaw. The Fianna Fáil house in Mayo seems somewhat in disarray at the moment. Rumours of their demise are somewhat premature, to paraphrase the words of Mark Twain.
It was all sweetness and light at Westport Town Council meeting, with Cllr Myles Staunton taking over the chair. Is this a portent for future Dáil elections with young Staunton following in the footsteps of his father Myles, winner of a seat for Fine Gael many years ago? I don’t think Michael Ring will be looking over his shoulder at Staunton’s Dáil aspirations, but the young Westport man has time on his side.
Labour’s Keith Martin was chosen as vice-chair, a nice piece of ecumenical politicking, in contrast to happenings in Castlebar.
And so we come to Mayo County Council. There’s only one man for the job here and that man is John Cribbin from Ballyhaunis. Many of Cribbin’s supporters felt he should have got the nomination over John O’Mahony for the general election two years ago. But that’s all history and history, as Henry Ford once said, is more or less bunk.
Cribbin will have no difficulty in handling the business of the chair. He is tough, articulate and occasionally can have a waspish sense of humour. Keep an eye on this man!
So the stage is set for the next five years in the political life of Mayo. Politics is a cruel business. Spare a thought for those councillors who lost their seats. They served their communities well and are hurting at the moment. But time is a great healer and their turn may well come again in the future. And a word of caution to those who topped the poll and now have a swagger in their step. Those who put you to the top of the pile today can also consign you to the slagheap in the future. For as someone once said, all political careers end in failure.
A rather sobering thought for our councillors in these heady days. And something they should never forget. With those sentiments we wish all our councillors success and happiness in the future. They’ll need it all.
