FF looks to new blood on council

THE political beheading of the Fianna Fáil hierarchy on Cork County Council has left the party badly wounded and the race is on to find a new leader and party secretary.

The unexpected defeat of Bantry-based Vivian O'Callaghan meant FF lost one of its longest-serving members and its leader on the local authority. The party's second-in-charge, Dunmanway-based Tom O'Neill, also fell victim to an electorate bent on showing the Government it wasn't happy.

If Barry Cogan had survived he would probably have been the natural successor to Vivian O'Callaghan. However, the Carrigaline-based former TD also got the chop.