Barrett lashes Fianna Fáil for neglect of Castlebar

Fri, May 29, 2009

Councillor Harry Barrett, Labour Party candidate for Castlebar Town Council and Mayo County Council, has made a stinging attack on the Coalition Government for their lack of vision and imagination.

Cowen’s ballot blues

Fri, May 22, 2009

MANY PUNDITS considered the forthcoming local and Euro elections almost an irrelevance to national politics. The positions to be filled were deemed to be unimportant, not having any impact on Government. This ignored a truism - elections create fundamental fault lines in politics.

Fine Gael bid to repeat grand slam in Ballina

Fri, May 22, 2009

In 2004 Fine Gael won four out the six county council seats on offer in the Ballina electoral area.

Green collar jobs delivery in west should be wake-up call for Westport

Fri, May 22, 2009

Green Party candidate for Westport Town Council Fergus McAllister said that announcements this week of over 400 green jobs in the west should be a wake-up call to Westport that it must get serious about targeting green collar jobs if it wants to realistically overcome the present crisis and be competitive into the future.

Extra seat and retiring councillors line up exciting race

Fri, May 22, 2009

One more seat and three councillors retiring from politics makes the battle for the seven seats in the Castlebar electoral area one of the most interesting races in this year’s local elections. The transfers of Burriscarra, Portroyal and Roslee with their combined population of 1,327 people from the old Ballinrobe area to the Castlebar area has really thrown the race for seats in the county town wide open. There are 12 going to post on June 5 and, with only three sitting councillors going for re-election, there will be at the very least four new faces or maybe three new and one old representing the Castlebar area in the next council.

Courtney raps “Scrooge” Fianna Fáil

Fri, May 22, 2009

Bernie Courtney, Labour Party candidate for Castlebar Town Council, has rapped the Government for its total lack of sensitivity and callousness in its recent cutbacks.

Knocking on the doors for the first time

Fri, May 22, 2009

If you live in the Castlebar Town Council area, the chances are you’ve had a visit over the past few weeks from Noreen Heston. The first time Fine Gael candidate has for the last six weeks been literally going to every door in the town on the canvass trail. “I started out about six weeks ago on my canvass. I'm actually knocking on every door at the moment. The people are very welcoming of new candidates and female candidates. People say there is an awful lot of anger but there is also an awful lot of hurt.” Out on the canvass trail Heston has heard plenty of good and also sad stories, but it’s meeting the people and hearing their stories that has strengthened her resolve to get elected and do her best for the people.

Make education cutbacks an election issue, urges Mayo teacher

Fri, May 22, 2009

Mayo ASTI representative Greta Harrison has called on the parents and teachers of second level pupils to make the education cutbacks an issue in the upcoming local and European elections.

“These elections provide us with an opportunity to tell our politicians how the education cutbacks are affecting our schools,” said Ms Harrison, a teacher at St Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina.

Over €50,000 raised for Chernobyl

Fri, May 22, 2009

The Bricks 4 Hope Art Auction, which was recently held in Westport was a huge success and helped push the Chernobyl Children’s Project Westport Outreach Group over its €50,000 fundraising finish line to build a Home of Hope for children in Belarus.

Tochar Phádraig Pilgrim Walks

Fri, May 22, 2009

Experience this unique Pilgrim Journey with a difference. Walk in the footsteps of St Patrick along the once royal Chariot Road; be challenged by the 22 miles that was the Pilgrim Path down through the ages; absorb the rich heritage that is embodied at every turn along the way; have your spirits raised by the environment and the encouragement of companions; take time to discover a deeper meaning to life and to find greater peace in our relationship within ourselves, with others and with God.