Appeal for Mayo poster free presidential election

A MAYO councillor has called for all the three presidential election candidates to refrain from erecting election posters around Castlebar and other towns.

Canvassing for the presidential election began in ernest this week with election posters for the three candidates appearing on poles across the county.

However, Castlebar-based Fine Gael councillor Ger Deere has asked teams for the three candidates not to erect posters in the county town.

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“In light of the presidential election I would ask that anyone from the political parties who is running the posters not to have posters. A lot of tidy towns groups and other organisations around the county have come together to ask for a no poster policy particularly in areas around towns and villages and approach roads,” he told the monthly meeting of the Castlebar Municipal District.

The call by Cllr Deere who is a member of Castlebar Tidy Towns comes following similar appeals ahead of previous elections in the county.

Ahead of November's General Election, Castlebar Tidy Towns asked candidates to refrain from erecting election posters on poles during the election campaign.

Westport was one of the first towns in the country to agree not to erect election posters following an appeal by the local tidy towns group and the town continues to be an election poster free zone.

There was controversy ahead of the European Elections in May 2024 when posters belonging to European election candidates including Maria Walsh of Fine Gael, Lisa Chambers of Fianna Fáil and Independent Peter Casey were erected on approach roads to the town. Following an outcry by local representatives, the posters were promptly removed.