Ring announces he will not contest next General Election

WESTPORT-based Mayo TD, Michael Ring has announced he will not contest the next General Election, bringing an end to an extraordinary 45 years of public life.

The move – which Deputy Ring said comes after “much consideration and reflection with my family and supporters” – also brings to an end months of speculation as to whether the long-serving 70 year old would be seeking reelection.

‘Humbling and inspiring’

Ring was first elected to Westport Urban District Court in 1979 before being elected to Mayo County Council in 1991 and to Dáil Éireann in 1994 following a by-election. He held his Dáil seat at every election since then and became a member of the Cabinet in 2017 when Leo Varadkar appointed him Minister of Community and Rural Development.

“It is important to me to express my gratitude to all of you who have supported me and canvassed for me since I first ran for election back in 1979.

“Serving as an elected representative for 45 years, first on Westport Town Council, then Mayo County Council, and for the past 30 years in Dáil Éireann, has been the privilege of my life. I am profoundly thankful to have had the opportunity to serve my community and my country in various capacities, including Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Minister for Regional Economic Development and Minister for Community and Rural Development. The trust and support from my constituents has been humbling and inspiring,” he said.

Milestones

Reflecting on his three decades in Dáil, Deputy Ring said he was proud of the significant developments and investments he secured for Mayo and beyond, in his time as minister.

“Initiatives such as The Gathering, The Wild Atlantic Way, and Ireland’s Ancient East have revitalised tourism and created thousands of jobs. Re-opening the Sports Capital Programme, as well as setting up the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) and Sport Ireland, have transformed communities across the country.

“In Mayo, we have witnessed transformative projects like the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence, the redevelopment of Ballintubber Abbey, investment in the Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park, and enhancements to local sports facilities and greenways.

“Achievements like the Lough Mask to Westport Water Scheme, various sewerage schemes, and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme are milestones I hold dear,” he added.

^{Michael Ring cutting the ribbon to the extension of the Achill Experience on Achill Island}

Backs Harris

The election of party leader, Simon Harris as Taoiseach in March and the bounce the party received from successful European and local elections in June has led to speculation that a general election will take place in the autumn.

While he has now made it clear he will not be in the party ticket, Ring said the party ‘boasts strong leadership in Taoiseach Simon Harris, and a dynamic team of ministers’ and is confident he will lead them to another term in Government.

“We have enjoyed great success in recent elections, and I am confident in our prospects moving forward. Here in Mayo, we have done great work and I am confident that we will maintain and build on our seats in the next general election and contribute to Fine Gael securing another term in government. I will be doing everything here in Mayo to contribute to this.

“In closing, I want to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to the people of Mayo. Your trust and support has allowed me to serve you, and I am eternally grateful. Representing you has been an honour and I am proud of what we have accomplished together.”

Reaction

The decision by Ring not to seek reelection was described as a ‘sad day for Westport’ by his party colleague Cllr Peter Flynn who said it will be impossible to replace him.

“It is really news from a Westport perspective in that we have had an absolutely brilliant representative in Dáil Éireann for the last 30 years as a TD and a Minister. Replacing him will be near on impossible. He has done incredible work for Mayo and rural Ireland over the last 30 years and many projects which has happened in Mayo would not have happened without his involvement. It is a huge loss to this area and replacing him will be a significant challenge,” he said.

Cllr Flynn said that Ring’s hard work and his ability to understand people and the challenges they are facing which have made him the politician he is.

“The reality is while he may be a Fine Gael member he represented everybody and for Michael it was about representing every person regardless of their political allegiances,” he added.

Since entering politics, Ring’s ability to confound the critics inside and outside his own party has set him apart. He has always striven to be ‘his own man’, a strategy that has brought him electoral success time and time again.

Ring’s rise

A native of Fr Angelus Park in Westport, Michael Ring is a past pupil of Westport CBS primary school and Westport Vocational School. He started his working life as a bread salesman before becoming an auctioneer and estate agent.

He came to national attention when he unexpectedly won the 1994 West Mayo by-election and topped the poll two years later in the 1997 General Election in the enlarged Mayo constituency.

His early years in the Dáíl were largely from the back benches of the opposition as Fianna Fáil clung onto power until 2011, when Fine Gael seized power with Labour under Enda Kenny as Taoiseach.

Ring missed out on a senior ministry role but was appointed Minister of State for Tourism and Sport from 2011 to 2016 and Minister of State for Regional and Economic Development in 2016 to 2017.

As a Minister of State, Ring’s achievements included the promotion of the Gathering in 2013 and the Wild Atlantic Way, which an economic assessment recently stated had created 35,000 jobs. He also introduced Ireland’s Ancient East (IAE) as a branded visitor experience and helped secure the 9 percent VAT rate on hospitality.

When Kenny stepped down as Taoiseach, Ring publicly backed Leo Varadkar as his successor, and the backing paid off when Varadkar appointed Ring as senior minister in the newly established Department of Community and Rural Development.

As minister, he helped set up the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) with many major projects rolled out all over the country under this fund. He also set up the Town and Village Renewal Scheme as well as the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and reintroduced the Local Improvement Scheme with dedicated funding.