Maria Doyle elected new chair of Dundalk Municipal District committee

Cllr Maria Doyle

Fine Gael councillor Maria Doyle was last night elected the new chair of the Dundalk Municipal District at a meeting in the Town Hall.

She succeeds Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Declan Breathnach in the role, becoming the first female to hold the position since the abolition of Dundalk Town Council in May 2014. Maria pipped Sinn Féin’s Cllr Kevin Meenan to the position.

The Municipal District is the successor to the old Dundalk Town Council and is made up of those elected in the Dundalk South and Dundalk Carlingford constituencies.

Maria, from Lis na Dara, first became a public representative in 2011 when she took over the Dundalk Town Council seat vacated by Senator Jim D’Arcy.

The CBS primary school teacher will be assisted in her role by Fianna Fáil’s Conor Keelan, who was elected the new vice-chair. A former chair of Dundalk Town Council, he takes over the role from the Green Party’s Cllr Mark Dearey.

Celebrations for CBS Primary School after first place finish in All-Ireland history competition

Maria Doyle with her victorious class

There were celebrations in the CBS Primary School in Chapel Street last Friday after Maria Doyle’s third class were notified that they had come first in an All-Ireland history competition.

The local school came out victorious in the ‘A Decade of Centenaries” category in the competition run by the Department of Education and Skills.

The project was entitled “The First World War – A Local History” and the project included several stories from individual children’s ancestors and their roles in the war, as well as research the pupils carried out on other local aspects including the sinking of the S.S. Dundalk on 14th October 1918.

Commenting on the win, the class teacher Ms Doyle said: “The pupils were thrilled when the news came through and as their teacher, I’mm delighted that their interest and work has been acknowledged.

They will receive their prize from the Minister for Education and Skills at an award ceremony in UCC on 14th May,” she said.

Sinn Féin motion to remove chairperson’s allowance in Dundalk is defeated

Cllr Edel Corrigan

The chair of the Dundalk Municipal District Committee will continue to receive an annual allowance of €12,000 after a vote to remove it was defeated last night.

The sum was approved following last year’s local elections but Sinn Féin councillor Edel Corrigan looked to overturn that. However, her motion was defeated by seven votes to six after much discussion and debate.

The five Sinn Féin members on the committee – Cllrs Corrigan, Jim Loughran, Jennifer Green, Kevin Meenan and Tomás Sharkey – all voted to scrap the allowance and were supported by independent councillor Maeve Yore.

However, the remaining members of the committee – Cllrs Mark Dearey, Conor Keelan, John McGahon, Peter Savage, Declan Breathnach, Marianne Butler and Maria Doyle – opted to keep the allowance by voting against Cllr Corrigan’s motion.

Cllr Corrigan told LMFM this morning that she felt it was the people’s money and she could see no justification for such an allowance. She vowed her party would continue to oppose the allowance.

Commenting on the matter to Talk of the Town, Cllr Maria Doyle said: “Sinn Féin hold several chairs on both Municipal District Committees and Councils throughout the country, for which they receive sizeable allowances, and which they have not sought to abolish or even reduce.

“My argument at last night’s meeting was that they do not have a coherent national policy in relation to this issue and are only seeking to reduce the allowances on the Councils and Committees on which they do not hold Chair positions. Sinn Féin will soon take up the Chair of Dublin City Council which has an allowance of €65K on top of the basic salary. I won’t hear them seeking to abolish that.

“They currently hold the Chair on Dublin South Council and the Sinn Féin Councillor Fintan Warfield received an additional €30K for holding that Chair.  Finally, Sinn Féin Councillor Imelda Munster is currently Chair of the Housing SPC of Louth County Council which pays her €6K per annum in additional to her salary. That committee are obliged to hold only 4 meetings per annum.”

New look Louth County Council to meet for the first time this morning

The offices of Louth County Council

The first meeting of the new Louth County Council will take place later today.

This will be the first gathering of the local authority since the recent local elections and the abolition of the town and borough councils.

At the meeting the first chairperson of the new look council is expected to be decided.

The new council is made up of the following:

Dundalk South (7) – Tomás Sharkey (Sinn Féin), Declan Breathnach (Fianna Fáil), Maeve Anna Yore (Independent), Kevin Meenan (Sinn Féin), Jennifer Green (Sinn Féin), Maria Doyle (Fine Gael), Marianne Butler (Green Party).

Dundalk Carlingford (6) – Edel Corrigan (Sinn Féin), Peter Savage (Fianna Fáil), Jim Loughran (Sinn Féin), John McGahon (Fine Gael), Mark Dearey (Green Party), Conor Keelan (Fianna Fáil).

Ardee (6) – Pearse McGeough (Sinn Féin), Colm Markey (Fine Gael), Liam Reilly (Fianna Fáil), Tom Cunningham (Sinn Féin), Dolores Minogue (Fine Gael), Jim Tenanty (Independent).

Drogheda (10) – Imelda Munster (Sinn Féin), Paul Bell (Labour Party), Alan Cassidy (Sinn Féin), Tommy Byrne (Fianna Fáil), Kenneth Flood (Sinn Féin), Frank Godfrey (Independent), Kevin Callan (Fine Gael), Oliver Tully (Fine Gael), Richie Culhane (Fine Gael), Pio Martin Smith (Labour Party).

Tenanty claims final seat on Louth County Council

Jim Tenanty

Jim Tenanty held off the challenge of fellow independent Hugh Conlon to take the last seat on the new Louth County Council following yesterday evening’s recount at the Redeemer in Dundalk.

Just 23 votes had separated the pair in the Ardee electoral area on Sunday night, leading to Conlon calling for a recount.

However, it failed to change the outcome, with Tenanty holding on to take his seat on the new local authority.

That leaves things as follows:

The party breakdown reads as

• Sinn Féin – 10 seats
• Fine Gael – 7 seats
• Fianna Fáil – 5 seats
• Labour Party – 2 seats
• Green Party – 2 seats
• Independents – 3 seats

Meanwhile, the new council is made up of the following:

Dundalk South (7) – Tomás Sharkey (Sinn Féin), Declan Breathnach (Fianna Fáil), Maeve Anna Yore (Independent), Kevin Meenan (Sinn Féin), Jennifer Green (Sinn Féin), Maria Doyle (Fine Gael), Marianne Butler (Green Party).

Dundalk Carlingford (6) – Edel Corrigan (Sinn Féin), Peter Savage (Fianna Fáil), Jim Loughran (Sinn Féin), John McGahon (Fine Gael), Mark Dearey (Green Party), Conor Keelan (Fianna Fáil).

Ardee (6) – Pearse McGeough (Sinn Féin), Colm Markey (Fine Gael), Liam Reilly (Fianna Fáil), Tom Cunningham (Sinn Féin), Dolores Minogue (Fine Gael), Jim Tenanty (Independent).

Drogheda (10) – Imelda Munster (Sinn Féin), Paul Bell (Labour Party), Alan Cassidy (Sinn Féin), Tommy Byrne (Fianna Fáil), Kenneth Flood (Sinn Féin), Frank Godfrey (Independent), Kevin Callan (Fine Gael), Oliver Tully (Fine Gael), Richie Culhane (Fine Gael), Pio Martin Smith (Labour Party).

Drama at count centre as Keelan pips Quigley to final seat by just four votes

Some of the victorious Sinn Féin team at the count centre on Saturday with party leader and local TD Gerry Adams. From left: Edel Corrigan, Pearse McGeough, Gerry Adams, Imelda Munster, Tomás Sharkey, Jennifer Green, Tom Cunningham and Alan Cassidy

Conor Keelan won the final seat in Dundalk Carlingford by just four votes from JJ Quigley

There was drama at the local election count in the Redeemer last night after a recount was ordered to decide who took the last seat available in the Dundalk-Carlingford constituency.

In the end history repeated itself as Fianna Fáil’s Conor Keelan saw off competition from Sinn Féin’s JJ Quigley to take the final seat by just four votes – the same margin that independent councillor Alan Grehan pipped Fianna Fáil’s Donal Lynch by following a similar recount five years ago.

Initially there had been just two votes separating the pair before the recount but it failed to change the outcome.

The failure of Quigley to get elected was the one downside to what was an otherwise fantastic weekend for Sinn Féin, who saw 10 of their 11 candidates elected, with poll toppers in each of the four electoral areas.

As is always the case in elections, there were casualties with established councillors such as Eamonn O’Boyle, Jim Ryan, Jim Lennon, Finnan McCoy, Martin Murnaghan, Linus English, Michael O’Dowd, Sean Bellew and Oliver Morgan all losing seats.

For the first time there is the possibility also of a husband and wife team on the council with Sinn Féin’s Jennifer Green elected in Dundalk South, while her fiancé Alan Cassidy was elected in Drogheda.

Sinn Féin aside, the big winners included independent Maeve Anna Yore and Fine Gael’s John McGahon and Maria Doyle, who secured seats on their debut elections.

It was also a good weekend for the Green Party, with both Mark Dearey and Marianne Butler retaining their status.

The only remaining seat still to be decided is in Ardee, where a recount will take place this morning at 10am at the request of Hugh Conlon, who lost out on the final seat to fellow independent Jim Tenanty by just 23 votes.

The party breakdown look as follows:

• Sinn Féin – 10 seats
• Fine Gael – 7 seats
• Fianna Fáil – 5 seats
• Labour Party – 2 seats
• Green Party – 2 seats
• Independents – 3 seats

There will also be a record number of women representatives, with seven female councillors elected.

As things stand the new County Council will look as follows:

Dundalk South (7) – Tomás Sharkey (Sinn Féin), Declan Breathnach (Fianna Fáil), Maeve Anna Yore (Independent), Kevin Meenan (Sinn Féin), Jennifer Green (Sinn Féin), Maria Doyle (Fine Gael), Marianne Butler (Green Party).

Dundalk Carlingford (6) – Edel Corrigan (Sinn Féin), Peter Savage (Fianna Fáil), Jim Loughran (Sinn Féin), John McGahon (Fine Gael), Mark Dearey (Green Party), Conor Keelan (Fianna Fáil).

Ardee (6) – Pearse McGeough (Sinn Féin), Colm Markey (Fine Gael), Liam Reilly (Fianna Fáil), Tom Cunningham (Sinn Féin), Dolores Minogue (Fine Gael), Jim Tenanty/Hugh D Conlon (Independent).

Drogheda (10) – Imelda Munster (Sinn Féin), Paul Bell (Labour Party), Alan Cassidy (Sinn Féin), Tommy Byrne (Fianna Fáil), Kenneth Flood (Sinn Féin), Frank Godfrey (Independent), Kevin Callan (Fine Gael), Oliver Tully (Fine Gael), Richie Culhane (Fine Gael), Pio Martin Smith (Labour Party).

Full results for each electoral area are also available on the Louth County Council website – Dundalk Carlingford, Dundalk South, Ardee, Drogheda.

End of an era as Dundalk Town Council holds last ever meeting

Members of the last Dundalk Town Council with council officials at last night’s meeting in Dundalk Town Hall

It was the end of an era last night as Dundalk Town Council held its last ever meeting at the Town Hall.

The local authority has been in existence for 115 years from 1899 to the present but will cease to exist from next month as Louth County Council is due to take over the running of the town after Friday’s local elections as part of a government cost-cutting initiative.

A special Mass was held in St Patrick’s Cathedral last night to mark the occasion, followed by a reception in the Town Hall where a plaque was unveiled by Cllr Eamonn O’Boyle, the council’s last ever chair, marking the 115 years of the Town Council.

Presentations were also made to retiring councillors Martin Bellew and Harry Todd, while there was also a presentation made to the council’s last Town Clerk, Frank Pentony.

The last ever council consisted of: Martin Bellew (Independent), Eamonn O’Boyle (Fine Gael), Jennifer Green (Sinn Féin), Harry Todd (Sinn Féin), Maria Doyle (Fine Gael), Oliver Morgan (Independent), Conor Keelan (Fianna Fáil), Mark Dearey (Green Party), Jim Ryan (Independent), Kevin Meenan (Sinn Féin), Marianne Butler (Green Party) and Sean Bellew (Fianna Fáil).

Dundalk Town Council chairman Cllr Eamonn O’Boyle makes a presentation to Town Clerk Frank Pentony

Dundalk Town Council chairman Cllr Eamonn O’Boyle unveils a plaque in Dundalk Town Hall marking the council’s 115 year existence alongside retiring councillors Martin Bellew and Harry Todd

 

So what’s going on here then? Dundalk cycle lanes being worked on

Work is being carried out at present on the almost never-used cycle lanes on Stapleton Place.

Rather than removing the cycle lanes though, Talk of the Town understands that a new style pathway, parking area and cycle lane system is being developed.

The changes come after numerous complaints from local residents about getting in and out of their cars when they park in front of their homes.

The trees along the street are being cut down at present to make way for the changes.

Commenting on the matter on the Talk of the Town Facebook page, Fine Gael councillor Maria Doyle said: “The street was destroyed when the Council put in the cycle tracks 2 years ago.

“The work being carried out now is as a result of an agreement the council made with the residents to make the cycle path safer from them getting in and out of cars etc. This agreement dates back to July 2012 and was well reported at the time, but has taken the Council this long to get it started. Myself and the residents wanted the road returned to how it used to be. But the council engineers would only agree to modifications.”

This is the second time that the council have had to review their cycle lane policy after the initial cycle lanes that crossed the road in front of the Century Bar and Home Bakery had to be removed as it was causing confusion for all concerned.

The way things used to be on Stapleton Place. Picture: Google Maps

Sinn Féin select three candidates for Dundalk South area for next year’s local elections

Cllrs Kevin Meenan, Jennifer Green and Tomás Sharkey will contest the local elections for Sinn Féin in Dundalk South

Sinn Féin last night selected its three candidates for the Dundalk South constituency in next year’s local elections.

Sitting county councillor Tomás Sharkey will look to retain his seat while Dundalk Town Councillors Kevin Meenan and Jennifer Green will also battle it out for the seven seats on offer in the area. Both are former Dundalk Town Council chairs.

Cllr Sharkey has been involved in local politics for the last decade having been co-opted onto the County Council in 2003 as a replacement for Arthur Morgan. He then topped the poll in Dundalk-Carlingford in the 2004 elections before repeating the feat in Dundalk South in 2009.

Cllr Kevin Meenan has been involved in local politics since first being elected to Dundalk Town Council in 1999, when he topped the poll. He then won a seat on the county council in 2004 but opted not to seek re-election in 2009 as he concentrated on the town council.

This will be a first election for Jennifer Green, who was co-opted onto Dundalk Town Council in April 2010 as a replacement for Ian Dooley.

Other candidates so far in the Dundalk South area include Fine Gael trio Linus English, Maria Doyle and Paddy Malone.

Sinn Féin also recently opted to run two candidates in the Dundalk-Carlingford area, with Cllrs Jim Loughran and Edel Corrigan looking to retain their seats in that area.

Related articles

• Dundalk councillors could be set for compensation of up to €16,000 if they fail to get re-elected (talkofthetown.ie)
• Corrigan and Loughran given Sinn Féin nod for local elections (talkofthetown.ie)
• Colin Goss added to Fine Gael ticket for next year’s Local Elections (talkofthetown.ie)
• Fine Gael selected three candidates to run for election in Dundalk South (talkofthetown.ie)
• McGahon and Murnaghan get the Fine Gael nod for next year’s local elections (talkofthetown.ie)

Fine Gael select three candidates to run for election in Dundalk South

Paddy Malone and Linus English

Cllr Maria Doyle

Fine Gael last night selected three candidates to run for them in the Dundalk South constituency in next year’s Local Elections.

Sitting County Councillor Linus English and sitting Town Councillor Maria Doyle will both go to the polls for the first time having replaced Jim D’Arcy on the respective local authorities following his election to the Seanad.

Also running for Fine Gael in Dundalk South is former Chamber of Commerce president Paddy Malone.

Last week the party announced that 24-year-old Martin Murnaghan and 23-year-old John McGahon would be standing for election in the Dundalk-Carlingford constituency.

Related articles

• McGahon and Murnaghan get the Fine Gael nod for next year’s local elections (talkofthetown.ie)