Numerous tributes were paid to outgoing Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Austin Francis O’Malley, at the May monthly meeting of the local authority. The Louisburgh based councillor brought a meeting of the local authority to his heartland for the first time in history this week. The meeting was held in the Ocean Lodge, in the village of Killadoon just outside Louisburgh, where one councillor joked before the meeting as he looked out on the Atlantic Ocean, “next stop is the Statue of Liberty”. Padraic McNamara, chairperson of the Killadoon Community Council, welcomed the 31 members of the council and the officials to the area at the start of the meeting.
The over-riding tone of the tributes was for the fair way which Cllr O’Malley chaired the meetings. Fine Gael whip Cllr Joe Mellet praised Cllr O’Malley forhow he had represented the county at home and abroad. Fianna Fáil councillor Al McDonnell for his side of the house thanked Cllr O’Malley saying: “You treated everyone the same, from whatever side of the aisle they were on, which I must thank you for.” Independent councillor Gerry Ginty had a similar sentiment, thanking Cllr O’Malley for giving him time to get his point across. The members agreed to hold the AGM of the council on Monday June 25 at 11am in the council offices in Castlebar where the new Cathaoirleach will be elected.
