MacGearailt elected mayor
A member of the council since 1985, Mr MacGearailt, a farmer and retired teacher from Ballyferriter, succeeds independent councillor Michael Healy-Rae. He defeated Councillor Bobby O’Connell, FG, by 16 votes to nine. Councillor Ned O’Sullivan, FF, was elected vice-chairman. The position of mayor carries an allowance of 24,000.
In his incoming address, Mr MacGearailt referred to the controversy about one-off housing and planning in Kerry. He said he could understand the pressures in rural areas, but did not agree with selling off sites to the highest bidder.
He also stressed the potential of wind energy development and urged the council to take another look at the blanket ban on wind farms in parts of Kerry.
Married with a family, Mr MacGearailt has a long record of political activity dating to the Gaeltacht Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s and has been a member of Udarás na Gaeltachta for 23 years.
Tributes were paid to Michael Healy-Rae as the outgoing mayor, with his father, Jackie, remarking: “You turned out a lot better than I thought you would!”
Also yesterday, Labour TD Breeda Moynihan Cronin, Kerry South, resigned her council seat as a result of the abolition of the dual mandate.
Tralee SIPTU branch secretary Andrew McCarthy, also chairman of the Labour party constituency executive in Kerry South, was unanimously co-opted to her council seat for the Killarney electoral area.
Cllr Spring, sister of former Tánaiste Dick Spring, is now the only woman on the 27-member council.
