SKETCH
Áine Ryan
CIVIL war politics took on a whole new hue last week as a blue-shirted Fianna Fáil Mayor was swept into office during an evening of guerilla warfare in the chamber of Ballina Town Council. The Big Fellow himself would have been impressed, God rest his soul, as Caitlín Ní hOulihán, aka Independent Councillor Mary Kelly, put a lump of verbal gelignite under outgoing Mayor Mark Winters’ lyrical eulogy about his tenure as First Citizen.
“To my fellow councillors, I thank many of them for their help and cooperation during the year. We must keep focus on positive changes for our town, we must be determined to do what’s best for the town. To the incoming Mayor, I would say to you, the next year will be an exciting one for you and our town, cherish it and give the position the respect it’s due,” concluded the outgoing Fine Gael mayor.
Undoubtedly, it was the outgoing mayor’s innocuous little sniper shot with the word ‘many’ that was the first subtle offensive of the evening. Although veterans of this battle-field would have secretly conferred on the marked absence of General Election candidate and legal eagle, Cllr Michelle Mulherin. She was allegedly shafted last year in her strategic pre-election quest for first citizenship by party colleague Winters, who was swept to power by none other than the Soldiers of Destiny on the Town Council.
“The voting for Mayor is rigged and you all know it. It’s a crooked deal. Let my record stand, and I’ll abstain,” said Cllr Mary Kelly.
She wore a menacing look of fratricidal intent on her brow while addressing the new incumbent, her Fianna Fáil brother and about-to-be elected mayor, Padraig Moore.
Ballina Town Council has nine councillors: four are Fianna Fáil, Padraig Moore, Willie Nolan, Johnnie O’Malley and Frances McAndrew; two are Fine Gael, Mark Winters and Michelle Mulherin; Tommie Cooke is a Progressive Democrat, Peter Clarke is Sinn Féin and Mary Kelly, the only Independent.
Anyway, Cllr Kelly’s brother ignored her warning-shot and momentarily filled the room with white doves of peace.
“I hope over the next year we progress as a Council and work in harmony. It’s seven years since I was last elected mayor, or cathaoirleach as it was back then. I’m older and don’t know if I’m any wiser,” waxed Padraig Moore.
Conceding the only real power he had was as a lobbyist, Mayor Moore also warned that Ballina had recently delivered Dara Calleary to the Dáil and it was now time for Fianna Fáil to deliver to Ballina.
However, it was clear that blood-thirsty elements on the left flank had no intention of appeasement or distraction with such political pronouncements.
“I’d be a hypocrite to say the outgoing chairman [Mayor Winters] was impartial. I hope we never have another year like last year, where I was chastised, [my submissions] timed.” Cllr Kelly’s indignation was quickly matched by Sinn Féin’s directness.
“You were absolutely a disgrace. In your lust for power you trampled on a very good councillor. You’re nothing but a Judas driven by your own ego,” Cllr Peter Clarke’s quiet sortie left the chamber in stunned suspense, if only momentarily.
Winters, no longer armed with his mayoral chain, sat motionless, his eyes fixed in a glassy stare. Overlooked by a gallery of past cathaoirligh to whose ranks his photograph will soon be added, he was silently seething.
It was conciliator Cllr Johnnie O’Malley who interjected, suggesting that ‘the democratic process should not be demeaned’. Cllr Willie Nolan also urged ‘a placatory policy for the future’; some of the comments ‘were incomprehenisble’, he said. Incoming Deputy Mayor, Frances McAndrew, apologised to Mark Winters; what had been said ‘was quite unfair’, she remarked.
Congratulating the new mayor and referring to last year’s ‘betrayal’, Cllr Cooke observed: “I just wonder what side of the table Mark Winters will sit on this year. He certainly sat on the Fianna Fáil side last year.”
In the end Winters’ counter-attack was swift and went for the jugular. He ‘absolutely resented the bitterness and jealousy’ displayed by Cllr Kelly. Was she not guilty of similar practice in the past herself.
“Welcome to the real world of politics,” concluded her brother, his new mayoral armoury twinkling almost as brightly as his smile.
