During his whistlestop tour of Mayo last week, Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin paid a visit to Westport on Thursday where he enjoyed a meet and greet with people in the town.
Deputy Martin arrived at the Carraig Donn factory on the Lodge Road where he was given a guided tour by owner operator Pat Hughes and financial manager Colette Caulfield.
The Fianna Fáil leader saw first hand the complex weaving, stitching, manufacturing, packaging, marketing and on-line processes under way in the Carraig Donn factory as he stopped and talked with the many talented employers who make up the continuing success story of this Westport family business.
Dep Martin proceeded to Father Angelus Park in the town where he and Dep Dara Calleary, in the company of Westport Cumann members Declan Dever, Michael Chambers, and Joan Geraghty, called to houses in the estate to say hello to householders.
Following a walk through the town, Dep Martin arrived at the Clew Bay Hotel where he was welcomed by a large group of supporters from Westport, Louisburgh, and the general comhairle ceantair area. The party leader addressed cumann members on the issues of local government reform and party renewal, and stressed that, understandably, a lot of work needed to be done to win people's trust again. While there was criticism from some quarters that Fianna Fáil was not vociferous enough opposing the Government on certain matters, Dep Martin stated: “We do not want to be adversarial just for the sake of it. People in Ireland are suffering at the moment and the role for Fianna Fáil is to develop credible policies that will help solve areas of concern for people such as personal insolvency and mortgage repayments.”
Dep Martin thanked cumann chairman John Meaney, committee, and members for their continuing support for Fianna Fáil, and paid tribute to Comhairle Dail Ceantair chairman Sean Staunton, who he said had received some worthy recognition of late in his nomination for a Rehab Mayo Person of the Year 2012 award.
The Fianna Fáil leader also said he could see why Westport won so many awards including being 'Ireland's best place to live' and congratulated Westport Town Council, The Tidy Towns, and all local organisations involved in marketing the town so well.
