Retirement of Mayo TD Michael Ring will be a sad loss for Westport

THE decision by Michael Ring not to seek re-election at the next General Election was described as a sad day for Westport by local Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil councillors.

Michael Ring has been a TD since first winning his Dáíl seat in 1994 following a by-election in the old West Mayo constituency and has been elected at every General Election since and on many occasions topping the poll.

His popularity among voters who would not traditionally have been Fine Gael supporters has set him apart and this was acknowledged by Westport-based Fianna Fáíl councillor Brendan Mulroy.

“I grew up beside him and knew him from an early age and he will be a massive loss to the Westport area and a massive loss to Mayo. It is a very sad day for Westport and for Mayo,” said Cllr Mulroy who said Ring will be hard to replace.

“He has made a fantastic contribution to politics in this county and across the country and in fairness it is almost impossible to replace someone of the calibre of Michael Ring. There is not a politician in Ireland that has had an effect on his home town in the way he has had,” he said.

Cllr Mulroy added that he will always appreciate the support Ring provided him during his time as a councillor.

“Regardless of party politics I have always had a good friendship and working relationship with Michael Ring. He was a good man to talk to and provide help on any occasion and there were loads of occasions particularly when I was Chairperson of Mayo County Council in 2019.

“His secret was his work ethic and loyalty to people and he was continuously working and never stopped working. His hard work ethic would have impressed me from day one along with his humility and the way he would look after people who sought his help regardless of their political background,” he said.

Westport-based Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn echoed what Cllr Mulroy said about Ring saying that it would be impossible to replace him and Westport will miss him in the Dáil.

“It is really sad 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 impossible. He has done incredible work for Mayo and rural Ireland over the last 30 years and many projects which have 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.

Both Cllrs Flynn and Mulroy believe that Ring should have served longer as a senior minister as he proved his credentials during her term as Minister for Community and Rural Development.

“There is no question it was a mistake from Leo Varadkar to cut him from the cabinet at the time,” said Cllr Flynn. “He was a hugely effective member of the cabinet and his connectivity with rural Ireland was crucial and an area that the Government had been weak on over the last five years. Having someone like Michael Ring at the cabinet ensures that every voice regardless of what part of rural Ireland you come from is represented. It was a miss from Leo Varadkar at the time,” he said.

Cllr Flynn said that the news Michael Ring will not run will be a shock to many people in the town and who replaces him will have to be thought out.

“The Westport area as a whole has to figure out who is the best representative to have and who represents the long term future of west Mayo and deliver for the area. That is a question for tomorrow and it will need to be figured out quickly,” he said.