Holmes back in the hot seat in the West Mayo District

TRADING PLACES  Outgoing West Mayo Cathaoirleach, Cllr Brendan Mulroy, hands the chain of office to his successor, Cllr Michael Holmes yesterday evening.  Pic:

Neill O'Neill

COUNCILLOR Michael Holmes is the new Cathaoirleach of the West Mayo Municipal District. At last night’s (Monday) annual meeting of the district, Cllr Holmes, who held the same position in 2014/2015, was voted into the position by the four person alliance which he supports, between the two Independent and two Fianna FΡil councillors in West Mayo. Their four votes defeated a proposal by Cllr Tereasa McGuire [seconded by Sinn Féin councillor Teresa Whelan] that Cllr Gerry Coyle of Fine Gael be made Cathaoirleach, which had three votes of support.
Following the local election in May 2014, the Independent and Fianna FΡil councillors in West Mayo formed a pact to allow them a voting majority. With three of them having served as Cathaoirleach (Cllrs Michael Holmes, Christy Hyland and Brendan Mulroy) it was assumed that the remaining member of the alliance, Achill councillor Paul McNamara of Fianna FΡíl, would take the role of Cathaoirleach this year. However, in a twist he instead nominated Cllr Holmes, with this being seconded by Cllr Christy Hyland.
In the subsequent vote on both proposals, the voting went as expected, and the Fianna FΡil and Independents grouping outvoted a combination of the two Fine Gael and one Sinn Féin councillors by four votes to three.
A similar outcome followed when the call was made to elect a leas-Cathaoirleach, with Cllr Gerry Coyle nominating Cllr Tereasa McGuire. Cllr Hyland was then also nominated by Cllr Brendan Mulroy, seconded by Cllr McNamara, and after a similar voting pattern, Cllr Hyland was elected to the position.
Both councillors were wished luck in their positions from those around the table, but Cllr Coyle highlighted that his region [Erris] has not had a representative in either position since the new council was formed in 2014, and they used to rotate the chain in the old Belmullet Electoral Area, regardless of party or pact.

‘Call a spade a spade’
Cllr Mulroy responded that in the last Westport Town Council, Fine Gael held the chain five years in succession, and did similar at county level when they held a majority on the last council. Cllr Holmes added that there was ten Fine Gael Cathaoirligh on Mayo County Council in succession. Moving away from the debate, Cllr Coyle quipped that the only thing Fine Gael and Enda Kenny wasn’t blamed for in recent times was the Famine.
However, now away from the diplomacy of the chair, Cllr Mulroy was determined to remind Cllr Coyle of how they had come to be in the position they were debating.
“The numbers are there, you know how it works, let’s call a spade a spade, at no stage did anyone from Fine Gael or Sinn Féin approach Fianna FΡil looking to make a deal. Cllrs Holmes and Hyland did come to us and we did a deal, maybe if you were not sleeping you could be in the chair today,” Cllr Mulroy said to Cllr Coyle.
“I never went cap in hand to anyone,” Cllr Coyle retorted, as Cllr Hyland said it was unusual to see Sinn Féin supporting Fine Gael, as Cllr Whelan did in voting for both Cllr Coyle and Cllr McGuire in the earlier votes.
“It was more interesting to see you at the homecoming for Minister Ring last week,” Cllr Coyle replied to this, having the last word as the discussion wrapped up and pleasantries were exchanged around the table, wishing both Cllr Holmes and Cllr Hyland well in their new roles. Tributes were then paid to Minister Ring and proposals by Cllrs Coyle and McGuire that a note of congratulations be sent to him and a civic reception hosted in his honour were passed.

Tributes
Earlier, outgoing Cathaoirleach Brendan Mulroy was congratulated on his year as chairman, with particular emphasis on the Westport House sale, his response to the Blacksod Coast Guard tragedy, the homecoming for Westport’s All-Ireland GAA champions and the Westport 250 events given special mention. He offered thanks to many people, from his family to his fellow councillors, council staff, constituents and all who had worked alongside him over the last 12 months.
In relation to his new position, Cllr Holmes said he was surprised to be back in the chair and would do his best to represent everyone in the district.