Packed audience as councillor's campaign for re-election to Offaly County Council kicks off

BEFORE a packed group of supporters in the Phoenix Bar in Tullamore tonight, Cllr Tony McCormack launched his campaign for re-election to Offaly County Council.

The Fianna Fail representative is defending a seat in the Tullamore Electoral Area which he won at the last local election in 2019 having served on the former Tullamore Town Council prior to that.

“I've been a councillor here for 12 years and have been involved in some fantastic projects. Work as a councillor is never dull and it's a busy job,” he said.

“We deal with everything from potholes to major infrastructure projects and everything else in between. I've enjoyed helping to shape our community and helping those most vulnerable in our county.”

He listed many of the positive developments in Tullamore and Offaly in the last few years, including the capital investment pledged by the Government for a hospice in the county town.

The councillor also said over 300 houses had been given to families over the last 18 months around the county but more were needed.

He stressed that on Monday he will be proposing to Offaly County Council that modular houses will be built to provide “much needed homes”.

He highlighted the need for a new N52 road link between Tullamore and Kilbeggan for safety reasons and reminded his audience that he had accompanied Durrow people to Dublin to meet junior minister Jack Chambers and Tanaiste Micheal Martin to lobby for the road.

He mentioned last year's opening of the Esker Arts Centre, where he performed on stage this year himself; the street enhancement programme in Tullamore and the changes to O'Connor Square; and the Grand Canal Greenway and its car parks.

The councillor pointed to his active involvement in Tullamore Chamber strategic group, his work as chair of Offaly Innovation and Design Centre, his past presidency of Tullamore Chamber of Commerce from 2009 to 2011 and Midlands Gateway Chamber in 2014 saying they demonstrated his proactive approach towards addressing the challenges of ensuring Tullamore continues to have a healthy environment for businesses, local indigenous and international.

He said there were 10 businesses and 40 people employed in the Junction innovation centre and recalled how he had started his own business, Print Plus, 22 years ago and it now employed 16 people.

“I'm lucky that I have a brilliant team which has allowed me to pursue my political aspirations.”

Concentrating on his involvement in politics, he said former Taoiseach Brian Cowen had been a “great influence” on him and he also paid tribute to the help he received from Deputy Barry Cowen and all his councillor colleagues.

He thanked Fianna Fail executive members of cumainn, the Comhairle Ceantair and the Comhairle Dail Ceantair, and his canvassers and his director of elections Peter Waters.

He also thanked his family, Joan, Sean and Jacob, his mother, his late father, his sisters and brother and all other extended family members for always believing in him and supporting him.

The councillor also offered his condolences to his last director of elections PJ Lynam on the passing of his brother Aidan and to Paddy Dunican's family and friends on his untimely passing.

Paddy Dunican was president of the Rotary Club, an organisation of which Cllr McCormack is an active member, and was always “a great Fianna Fail man who never missed an Ard Fheis”.

Cllr McCormack said it had been a pleasure to work for all the people of Tullamore, Clara, Killeigh, Durrow, Blueball, Mountbolus, Rahan, The Island, Cappincur, Ballinamere, Mucklagh and all the other areas in the Tullamore Municipal District and county.

The launch event was opened by Kerry-based Fianna Fail Senator Mark Daly who said there were just 49 days to the election but polling day would follow five years of work by councillors like Tony.

“We're the largest party in local government and we want to make sure we grow and get bigger and we do that by not only retaining the seats that we have like Tony's and the other seats we have in Offaly and throughout the local authorities around the country.”

Senator Daly appealed to all supporters to ask at least one person every day to vote for Cllr McCormack.

“The more people who ask for votes for the candidate the more votes the candidate gets. It's as simple as that.”

The senator said Ireland had its own democracy for over 100 years and at a time when democracy was under threat, it is very important that good leaders are elected.

“Ireland is in the unique position of being one of just 12 countries that have been continuous democracies for the last 100 years,” he stressed.

The launch was attended by Cllr Declan Harvey, who is also seeking re-election in the Tullamore Electoral Area, and two Fianna Fail councillors who are retiring, Cllr Danny Owens and Cllr Eamon Dooley. Deputy Cowen was unable to attend because he was at the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis.