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

 

Morgan hits out at Sinn Féin’s alleged pursuit of headlines rather than action

Cllr Oliver Morgan

Local councillor Oliver Morgan has hit out at Sinn Féin, accusing them of seeking headlines regarding local problems rather than looking for solutions to fix them.

The independent candidate, who will be seeking re-election at next month’s local elections, posted about the matter on his Facebook page in recent days.

His comments come following recently prominent headlines in the local media. Earlier this week problems at Slieve Roe Crescent in Muirhevnamor were highlighted by Sinn Féin’s Cllr Kevin Meenan on the front page of The Dundalk Democrat. Another Sinn Féin councillor, Jennifer Green, also made the front page of The Argus last month discussing the cost of the upgrade works at the Market Square and Stapleton Place.

Cllr Morgan says that as the biggest party on Dundalk Town Council, Sinn Féin have the power to make change happen but insists that they “don’t really want a solution but seem to be much more interested” in complaining and getting headlines.

In his statement, the Meadow Grove man said: “It is growing tiresome to have to listen to the carping and complaining of Sinn Féin council members in the run up to the local elections.

“Sinn Féin is the biggest party on Dundalk Town Council and has a responsibility to the electorate to see that our infrastructure is managed competently and prudently. The debacles of mismanagement which the re-development of our Market Square and our cycle lane design and implementation are a couple of examples which are repeated yet again in the grotesque mismanagement of our housing provision of which the situation at Slieve Roe Crescent, Dundalk is a particularly regrettable example.

The front of this week’s Dundalk Democrat featuring Sinn Féin’s Kevin Meenan talking about the situation at Slieve Roe Crescent

“My criticism of Sinn Féin is that, while its members who are sitting councillors on both our local authorities are merely complaining about things, they should and could be changing things!

“Councillors are elected by the people of Dundalk to dictate that the management does its job competently and prudently; to ensure that we get value for the multiple taxes which are extracted from us. We councillors have the power to do this job under the provisions of section 140 of the Local Government Act.

“However Sinn Féin seems to be unwilling or afraid to use this power to dictate that the management perform properly and Cllr Green used Sinn Féin’s year in the chair to “cosy up” to the management and act as its lacky.

“Instead of robustly supporting me when I raised the issue of the grotesque mismanagement of the Slieve Roe Cresent situation, Sinn Féin sang dumb and offered my proposal no support whatsoever.

“Dundalk Town Council possesses the statutory enforcement powers to sort the Slieve Roe Crescent mismanagement situation in six months but our management can’t be bothered and the members of Sinn Féin dont appear to really want a solution but seem to be much more interested in having something to complain about, engage in hand-wringing about and get the front page and a two page spread in the Dundalk Democrat or the front page of The Argus to enhance its electoral position.

“I would sincerely hope that Sinn Féin does not succeed in fooling all of the people all of the time,” he said.

Cllr Morgan retracts statement made on LMFM

Cllr Oliver Morgan

Dundalk Town Councillor Oliver Morgan has retracted a statement made on the Michael Reade show on LMFM last week, in which he described an article in The Dundalk Democrat as inaccurate.

The article came about following the independent candidate’s decision to lodge a complaint with local gardaí, claiming that his Facebook account had been hacked. A user logged in as Cllr Morgan posted an explicit video on a local page – something that was quickly removed.

Cllr Morgan claimed in The Democrat that two friends who had been in his house had posted the link but a statement released to LMFM shortly after seemed to contradict this as he claimed his account was hacked by “evil elements” who wanted to thwart his local election campaign.

The Meadow Grove man now agrees that The Dundalk Democrat accurately reported a telephone interview on Monday February 24th.

In a statement released yesterday, Cllr Morgan moved to clarify his comments on LMFM which took place less than 24 hours after the interview with The Democrat.

He said: “Being under the impression that my two friends had committed a criminal offence by uploading the masturbation video to my page and being fearful of them being punished for the offence, I very wrongly told Michael that Ian Cameron’s report in the Democrat newspaper had been inaccurate.”

Morgan to raise Women’s Aid motion once more at next council meeting

Local councillor Oliver Morgan is refusing to give up on his ambition to see Dundalk Women’s Aid relocated to the former De La Salle Retired Brothers’ Residence at John Street, Patrick Street and De La Salle Terrace.

The independent representative, who is running in May’s local elections for a seat on Louth County Council, put a motion before last night’s meeting of Dundalk Town Council on the matter.

He asked that the local authority acquire the residence and refurbish it before then leasing it to Dundalk Women’s Aid “at a token rent” in order to assist women and children who are the victims of domestic abuse.

Much to his surprise, Cllr Morgan’s motion was not seconded but he insisted in a statement this afternoon that he will not give up on the matter.

“To say that I was surprised not to have received a seconder for the motion, particularly from among our three councillors who are of the fairer sex – Cllrs Butler, Green and Kenny-Doyle -whatever about the other 8 members of the ugly sex, is to put it mildly.

“As a member of our Local Authority I am rationed to two motions per monthly meeting and I have my motions prepared for our March and April meetings already. However I feel so strongly about this particular issue that I intend to re-submit my Women’s Aid motion for our March meeting and I would ask anyone who feels that it would be appropriate to assist the Women’s Aid to ask their local public representative on our council to support my motion.”

Morgan hits out at “evil elements” he believes are plotting against him

Cllr Oliver Morgan

Dundalk Town Councillor Oliver Morgan believes a number of “evil elements” are plotting against him in his bid to land a seat on Louth County Council in the forthcoming elections.

As revealed on Talk of the Town yesterday, the Meadow Grove man has lodged a complaint with gardaí in Dundalk after his Facebook page was hacked last week in the lead-up to his campaign launch last Friday night in the Imperial Hotel.

Explicit material was believed to have been posted on his page, all of which has since been removed.

In a statement on the matter, Cllr Morgan said he believes the same people who made unfounded allegations against him shortly after his last election campaign in 2010 are behind the current attack and said he was “gutted” that anyone would do such a thing.

He said: “I am utterly gutted to see that the evil elements who tried to destroy my public representational career in 2010 have not gone away.
“I have reported this latest despicable episode to An Garda Siochana who have told me that they will spare no effort in the attempt to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“I wish, once again, to thank all those who gave me such helpful support during the last campaign against me and I am counting on them to rally around me during this latest episode of filthy vilification.”

Cllr Morgan was first elected to Dundalk Town Council in 2009 as a Fianna Fáil representative but will be aiming for a seat on Louth County Council in May as an independent representative.

You can read extracts of Cllr Morgan’s campaign launch speech here.

Morgan lodges complaint with Gardaí after having Facebook hacked in build up to campaign launch

Cllr Oliver Morgan (centre) speaking at his campaign launch on Friday surrounded by supporter John Callan (left) and Cllr Frank Godfrey (right), who endorsed his work on the night

Dundalk Town Councillor Oliver Morgan has lodged a complaint with local gardaí after his Facebook account was hacked last week.

It is not known what action the alleged hacker took when accessing the local councillor’s page but it has since been restored.

The hacking came in the build-up to Cllr Morgan’s local election campaign launch in the Imperial Hotel last Friday, in which he thanked all those who supported him since first being elected as a Fianna Fáil representative in 2009.

He said: “As you know, I was first elected to Dundalk Town Council five years ago in June 2009 and since then I have tried my very best to represent and to work for all my constituents. Even when I was going through a very dark period when I was falsely accused of wrongdoing and later fully vindicated you remained loyal to me with your support and encouragement.”

Despite that traumatic experience, the Meadow Grove man – who on this occasion is running as an independent candidate – feels he is a better public representative having gained experience in the last few years.

“Over the last 5 years I learned a lot about politics, especially about local politics, and I genuinely believe I made a real contribution to the day-to-day workings of our local Town Council and its deliberations.

“I believe I have the distinction of having submitted more motions for change and more questions for answers than any of my fellow members.

“I have worked diligently for my constituents in housing and benefit related matters.

“You may recall my success, after several years of neglect and stalling, in having the square at Doolargy Avenue, Muirhevnamor, cleared of rubbish and set on the road to recreational re-development.

“At every opportunity in the Council chamber I raised the matters that affect the lives of ordinary people including anti social behaviour, public lighting, local flooding issues and wasteful spending by our officials,

“I have taken every opportunity as an elected representative to hold our National Government to account over such issues as:

1. Property Tax – A full years payment due for 2014.
2. Child Benefit – Down €10 per month for 4th and subsequent children.
3. Prescription Charges – Rises to €2.50 an item.
4. Pensions – Stamp Duty on Pensions rises to 0.75%.
5. Medical Cards – Over 35,000 older people will lose the Medical Card.
6. Telephone Allowance – The €9.50 per month allowance for our elderly will be abolished.
7. Jobseeker’s Allowance – Cut to €100 a week for those aged 18 – 24.
8. Bereavement Grant – The Grant of €800 completely cut.
9. College Fees – Increased to €2,750 this year and €3,000 in 2015.
10. Maternity Benefit – Cut to €230 a week costing this year’s mums €832.
11. First-Time Buyers – Mortgage Interest supplement closed to new entrants.
12. Old Age Pension – Now moved up to 66 years.”

He added that over the next five years he intended to continue to highlight issues such as homelessness in the community, Woman’s Aid, Simon Community and LGBT matters

He also vowed to fully represent socially disadvantaged groups, the unemployed, the elderly, the physically and mentally impaired, and the socially sidelined.

Cllr Morgan prepares for election campaign launch

Cllr Oliver Morgan

Dundalk Town Councillor Oliver Morgan will launch his campaign for election to Louth County Council in the Imperial Hotel in Dundalk on Friday February 21^st.

The Meadow Grove man is running as an independent candidate having initially being elected to the town council in 2009 as a Fianna Fáil representative.

All supporters of Cllr Morgan are invited to attend the launch, while all help in campaigning would also be welcomed as he prepares to hit the campaign trail in March.