As has now become tradition, the second last full meeting chaired by the outgoing Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council packs up from the chamber in Áras an Chontae in Castlebar and hits the road to the home town or village of the outgoing Cathaoirleach. On Monday this week, the community centre in Ballyglass was the setting for the May meeting of the council, the home village of Cathaoirleach Cllr Cyril Burke.
Cllr Burke opened the meeting by welcoming the 30 other councillors and the full time executive of the council to the central Mayo village. He also thanked all members of the community council and other groups in the area which helped the meeting run smoothly. Cllr Burke went on to praise the council and the different councillors who have served the area over the years for the investment and support they have shown to Ballyglass in making it what it is today. He gave particular praise to the members of the Castlebar electoral area and the Ballinrobe and Claremorris areas in the past who have also represented the area over the years. Cllr Burke concluded by thanking his leas Cathaoirleach for the year, Cllr Patsy O’Brien, and last but not least thanked his wife and children for their support over the past busy year.
Fine Gael whip Cllr Joe Mellet praised Cllr Burke for his year in the top chair and the way he dealt with issues at the meetings. Fianna Fáil Cllr Al McDonnell also passed on his congratulations to Cllr Burke for his year as Cathaoirleach. Sinn Féin Cllr Rose Conway-Walsh praised the fairness with which Cllr Burke ran meetings commenting, “We might not have always agreed, but you let us have our say”.
