Mayo TDS branded ‘a disgrace’ for not attending meeting

Mayo TDs ‘a disgrace’ for not attending meeting

Anton McNulty

The absence of all of the Mayo TDs from the farmers’ meeting in the Knockranny House Hotel was noted by the farmers with many calling them a disgrace and stating that they would remember their absence come election time.
Invitations were sent to all of the Mayo TDs to attend the crisis meeting on hill farming, which attracted a crowd of approximately 1,700 farmers from across Connacht. Politicians from other parts of Connacht were also invited but the only invited politicians to attend were three MEP’s Marian Harkin, Matt Carthy and Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, and Fine Gael Galway West TD, SeΡn Kyne.
Cllr Michael Holmes, who chaired the meeting, explained that apologies were received from Mairéad McGuinness MEP, Galway West TDs, Éamon Ó Cúiv (FF), Brian Walsh (FG) and Brian Nolan (Lab).
When he said that he had received apologies from all five of the Mayo TDs and none would be attending, there was grumbling and booing from the crowd. Michelle Mulherin, John O’Mahony and Dara Calleary, he said, had phoned to say they could not attend while letters were received from Minister Michael Ring and An Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
“Michael Ring agreed to a deputation on Friday but a max of three farmers,” explained Cllr Holmes.
The other Mayo councillors to address the meeting with Erris-based Sinn Féin councillor Rose Conway-Walsh and Fianna FΡil councillor Paul McNamara from Achill.
Deputy Kyne was the only government deputy to address the meeting and try to explain the Minister’s rationale for the collective agreement. He was given a round of applause following his address and was thanked for attending.
However there was harsh words for the other politicians who failed to attend with many calling their absence a disgrace.
Gary Moylette from Carna in Connemara thanked Deputy Kyne for ‘having the gumption to come here’. “[You] tried to fight for us but the rest of them are a disgrace, they couldn’t even come to face us,” he said.
Gerry Loftus, a farmer from the Nephin Range, said the farmers would not forget about their absence at the time of the next election.