Ballinrobe Town Traders back O’Mahony and Ó Cuív

Anton McNulty

The Ballinrobe Town Traders group has called on people around the town and south Mayo to vote for either John O’Mahony (FG) or Éamon Ó Cuív (FF) in order to best represent their interests.
A number of signs have been erected around the south Mayo town on behalf of Ballinrobe Town Traders calling for the electorate to support the pair by giving them their first and second votes.
Since the redrawing of the constituency boundaries, the Galway West constituency now includes 7,500 votes in south Mayo, including areas around Kilmaine, Shrule and Ballinrobe.
No candidate for the Galway West constituency actually lives in south Mayo, with Fine Gael’s John O’Mahony residing in Ballaghaderreen and Fianna FΡil’s Éamon Ó Cuív close to the border in Corr na Móna. Both politicians opened constituency offices in Ballinrobe prior to the election.
Many people in south Mayo have expressed concern that their region of the constituency will be neglected without a local voice in the DΡil. As a result, traders in the town called a meeting and decided to urge local people to give their vote to John O’Mahoney and Éamon Ó Cuív.

Support

Martin Murphy, Chairman of the Ballinrobe Town Traders, told The Mayo News that the traders feel it is the sensible thing to support the local candidates.
“It is only a proposal; it is up to everyone themselves to decide how they vote but I feel the majority look on it as the right thing to do. They [John O’ Mahony and Éamon Ó Cuív] are both local, Éamon Ó Cuív always shops locally in Ballinrobe and John O’Mahony will be based here and has been a Mayo TD for the last five year. We are non-political but we would look at this as an opportunity to have a local TD. It is the sensible thing to do,” he explained.
Galway-city based Independent councillor, Catherine Connolly said she sensed the fears and anxieties of Mayo voters while canvassing and wished to reassure them that their voices will be heard if she is elected.
“They are very real fears … It is vitally important that the people of south Mayo are reassured that they will have a strong independent voice representing them in DΡil Éireann if I am elected,” she said.
A TG4 opinion poll by Ipsos MRBI indicates that the battle for the five seats available in Galway West will be a tight one. The poll showed that Éamon Ó Cuív is on 13 percent, followed by the Fine Gael duo of SeΡn Kyne and John O’Mahony and Sinn Féin’s Trevor Ó Clochartaigh on 11 percent. Catherine Connolly is on 8 percent with sitting TDs Independent Noel Grealish and Derek Nolan of Labour on 7 and 6 percent respectively.
Martin Murphy, Chairman of the Ballinrobe Town Traders, told The Mayo News that the traders feel it is the sensible thing to support the local candidates.
“It is only a proposal; it is up to everyone themselves to decide how they vote but I feel the majority look on it as the right thing to do. They [John O’ Mahony and Éamon Ó Cuív] are both local, Éamon Ó Cuív always shops locally in Ballinrobe and John O’Mahony will be based here and has been a Mayo TD for the last five year. We are non-political but we would look at this as an opportunity to have a local TD. It is the sensible thing to do,” he explained.
Galway-city based Independent councillor, Catherine Connolly said she sensed the fears and anxieties of Mayo voters while canvassing and wished to reassure them that their voices will be heard if she is elected.
“They are very real fears … It is vitally important that the people of south Mayo are reassured that they will have a strong independent voice representing them in DΡil Éireann if I am elected,” she said.
A TG4 opinion poll by Ipsos MRBI indicates that the battle for the five seats available in Galway West will be a tight one. The poll showed that Éamon Ó Cuív is on 13 percent, followed by the Fine Gael duo of SeΡn Kyne and John O’Mahony and Sinn Féin’s Trevor Ó Clochartaigh on 11 percent. Catherine Connolly is on 8 percent with sitting TDs Independent Noel Grealish and Derek Nolan of Labour on 7 and 6 percent respectively.