Four new faces on the Fianna Fáil local elections ticket in Offaly

FOUR new faces have been selected on the Fianna Fáil ticket to contest next year's local elections in the Tullamore, Birr and Edenderry electoral areas.

The four – Barbara Daly, Ferbane. Audrey Kennedy Hennessy, Birr and Clareen, Claire Murray, Rhode and Ollie Bryant, Mucklagh – were chosen at the party's well attended local elections convention in Tullamore on Monday night last.

Six sitting councillors – Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, Cllr Robert McDermott, Cllr Declan Harvey, Cllr Tony McCormack, Cllr Frank Moran and Cllr Peter Ormond – were also unanimously selected by delegates to stand.

Two councillors, Cllr Eamon Dooley and Cllr Danny Owens, have bowed out of politics having almost a half century of service to the electorate between them.

Warm tributes were paid to the duo for their service with Deputy Barry Cowen saying they had been stalwart servants of Fianna Fáil and their local communities throughout their careers as elected representatives.

Deputy Cowen also paid tribute to the sitting councillors who had allowed their names to go forward at convention and to the new names on the party's local elections ticket.

Senator Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fáil leader in Seanad Eireann, who chaired the convention, said the event marked the beginning of the local elections campaign in Offaly.

“It's great to see so many members in attendance here,” added Senator Chambers who stressed the constituency was very fortunate to have “such an able public representative in Barry Cowen.”

She said Fianna Fáil was contesting the elections as a Government party which she admitted would be challenging.

Senator Chambers added that three formidable teams had been selected to contest each of the electoral areas in the county and said the party's ambition was to have all ten candidates elected.

She stressed that the work of a local councillor was “getting tougher” as they were now more contactable than ever before.

Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, welcomed the new candidates and stressed the importance of them receiving every support from the aprty.

He said the retirement of councillors of the calibre of Danny Owens and Eamonn Dooley would be a huge loss to Offaly County Council.

Cllr Fitzpatrick reminded delegates of the importance of maximising the vote in Offaly at next year's local elections so the party could remain in control at county council level.

He said a lot of work remained to be done particularly in the area of housing and stressed the importance of working in tandem with the council executive.

Wishing the new four new candidates every success in the elections he said it was important to get Barbara Daly elected so she could continue the work of her brother Eamon Dooley.

Edenderry Electoral Area new candidate, Claire Murray said she was aware of the issues people faced, particularly in the area of health, through her work as a nurse in a busy GP practice in Rhode.

Audrey Kennedy Hennessy outlined her long involvement in community issues and stressed she was committed to the economic development of the Birr and Ferbane areas.

Barbara Daly, a founder member of Ogra Fianna Fáil, said she intended to carry on an honourable family tradition of public service. She said she would tackle the challenges posed by decarbonisation and promised she would listen to the opinions of the public when the county's development plan was being revised after the local elections.

Ollie Bryant said through his work in the environment department of Offaly County Council he was aware of the need for greater care for the environment but this could not be pursued at any cost. He promised if elected to hold Bord na Mona to account and said the semi-state body “could not leave Offaly high and dry”.

Deputy Barry Cowen said Fianna Fáil as a party was not afraid of making the tough decisions required in Offaly.

He stressed the party was committed to the budgetary process and was not afraid to make the hard choices unlike independent representatives and those from smaller parties.

“It is vitally important that we as a party get behind the candidates,” outlined Deputy Cowen who said it was uplifting to see the calibre of candidates which had been selected.

He said progress had been achieved in the area housing and cited developments in Clara, Tullamore, Belmont, Birr, Banagher and Moneygall in the recent past. “It's imperatve we continue that job of work,” stressed Deputy Cowen.

He said the party had taken its responsibilities seriously after the last general election and had entered government.

Deputy Cowen also spoke of the importance of energy issues and the Just Transition process and noted that a reformed nature restoration law had been passed last week by the European Parliament.

NEW CANDIDATE PROFILES

Ollie Bryant

Ollie Bryant bears a surname that is synonymous with Offaly GAA and he has served club and county in numerous capacities over a lifetime of voluntary service. He is current Chairman of his beloved Shamrocks Club, and has represented the Rahan, Mucklagh and The Island Parish on the playing pitch as well as in countless managerial and administrative roles.

Ollie’s career with Offaly Co Co spans 30 years working with the communities of the county – from Tidy Towns Development to supporting the setup of Sustainable Energy Committees as Offaly’s towns and villages embark on a regeneration journey.

An advocate of Social Enterprise, Ollie is proud of his native Mucklagh’s Community Centre and the capacity of the local community to deliver services that meet the current needs of local people and set a foundation on which to build a pathway to a sustainable future. All over Offaly there are volunteers committing their time and energy to social enterprises and Ollie has seen first-hand the effective responses in Daingean and Killeigh where the agencies and the wider community have rowed in behind the immense efforts of local volunteers.

Working in Offaly County Council’s Environment Section, Ollie is acutely aware of the need to not only preserve, but embellish, our environment but he is convinced that it needs to be done in a manner that also enhances the well-being and quality of life of local people. He believes that is best achieved at community level, where local people provide local solutions, and are assisted and supported in doing so by agents of the state.

The Bryants have been proactive supporters of Fianna Fáil since the foundation of the Party and Ollie is committed to ensuring that the Party that has always served this county well will continue that proud Republican tradition embedded in social justice and seeking a brighter future for all citizens.

Barbara Daly

Barbara Daly is a life-long member of Fianna Fáil, a founding member of Ógra in Offaly who served as the Leinster representative on the National Youth Committee for a number of years. She holds Certificates in Youth Work and Childcare, a Diploma in Training and Education and a Higher Certificate in Local Government Studies.

She has been actively involved in the Community and Voluntary Sector in Offaly for over three decades serving on the officer boards of sporting, recreation, community, education and youth work organisations at local, regional and national level. She volunteers on a weekly basis in three youth groups serving upwards of 120 young people in West Offaly. In 2020, she was elected as Chairperson of the Board of Foróige, The National Youth Development Organistion - a Charity with an annual turnover of €34m which she successfully steered through three of it’s most difficult years. She is currently the Vice Chairperson and Chairs the Audit & Risk Committee.

An active campaigner in the Yes Equality and Together4Yes campaigns, Barbara is a passionate advocate for equity, fairness, diversity and accessibility with a particular focus on the needs of those living in rural communities.

Audrey Kennedy Hennessy

Audrey Kennedy Hennessy is a native of Birr, now living in the neighbouring parish of Clareen (Seir Kieran) with her husband, singer-songwriter Pete Kennedy and their four children Aoibhe, Caitlin, Quin and Fionn. Daughter of Herbert (deceased) and Patsy Hennessy, Audrey continues the Hennessy family tradition of community engagement, GAA involvement and participation, and life-long support of the Fianna Fail Party.

From an early age, Audrey participated competitively in Camogie, a sport she remains passionately involved with. Holder of several county titles with Birr Camogie Club, Audrey is also the holder of two consecutive All-Ireland titles, (2009 & 2010), accolades she won while holding the No. 1 position for the Faithful County. She was crowned with a ‘Soaring Star’ award in 2009 for her gallant work between the posts in that year’s championship. Audrey’s commitment on the field is now matched by her work in the administration of Camogie at both Club and County level, and her ongoing commitment as a trainer and mentor for both Club and County teams.

Working with Avista Day Services in Birr, supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities, Audrey is a passionate advocate on disability issues for both adults and children. While she continues her love of sport, her passion to improve the quality of life for persons with intellectual disabilities ignited her desire to enter the political arena. With extensive on the ground experience, and knowledge of where facilities and opportunities can be both created and improved, Audrey is confident and determined to work diligently and effectively serving the people of the community.

Claire Murray

Claire Murray is a lifelong Fianna Fail supporter and mum of two children. She is married to Alex Smale and they live in Clonmore, Co. Offaly, not far from where she was raised.

She works as the Practice nurse in a busy, rural GP surgery. She holds an honours degree in general nursing along with certificates in immunisation, Dementia Care, infection control, intermediate life support, cervical sample taking and an ICGP accredited menopause theory course. She has a particular interest in mental health and has recently completed voluntary training with a crisis text helpline.

Claire has a keen interest in all sports, health, and wellbeing. She helps to train a local nursery GAA team and last year, set up a walking/ running initiative in her neighbourhood, aimed at providing an opportunity for local people to get out and be active, safely as a group.

Claire is part of Rhode Athletic Club and helps run the social media accounts for this organisation. She is currently training for her 5th marathon and recognises the importance of community when it comes to health and wellbeing.