Peyton determined to win back Swinford seat for Fine Gael

Over 100 members attended the Swinford Electoral Area Fine Gael selection convention for the June local elections to Mayo County Council. The convention took place in the Gateway Hotel and was presided over by Mr Willie Geraghty, Chairman of the Fine Gael Executive Council.

There were two nominations before the convention - ongoing Foxford-based councillor Neil Cruise and new candidate and law graduate 22-year-old Antoinette Peyton from Killasser, Swinford.

For the first time since the foundation of the State, Swinford town and the environs does not have a councillor and Peyton told the convention she wants to fill that void.

“My focus if elected will be to enhance Swinford as a place where young people want to live, to raise a family and grow old,” she said.

Ms Peyton started by addressing the convention in Irish saying she felt 'honoured and humbled to be inheriting the proud mantle' carried with distinction by her predecessors Anthony Joe Peyton, Douglas Kelly, Tommy O'Hara, Charles Kelly, Seán McEvoy, John M Flannery and three generations of the Mellett family.

She told the convention that she joined Young Fine Gael as soon as she entered University because she admires Fine Gael for its integrity and by always putting the country first. Many young people, she said, are turning more and more to populist parties with slogans but no solutions and she wants to give them a voice.

Cllr Cruise was proposed by Castlebar-based councillor Donna Sheridan and seconded by Martin Brogan from Foxford. Ms Peyton was proposed by Swinford businessman Tom Lavin and seconded by Imelda Kelly.

Accepting his nomination Cllr Cruise outlined in detail his hard work for the entire Swinford area since he was first elected in 2014. He was putting his name before the electorate again confident that his achievements and track record spoke for themselves. Central to his political philosophy is his emphasis on local as all politics is local.

As the only Fine Gael councillor in the Swinford Electoral Area he has represented a huge area from Foxford to the outskirts of Ballyhaunis and he outlined his five policy priorities which would be his platform going forward.