Joanne targets Polish vote in Clon

FINE GAEL has selected a Polish woman to contest the next local elections in a west Cork town — with the party confident there are sufficient fellow nationals alone to elect her.

There are more than 200 Polish people eligible to vote in the Clonakilty Town Council elections next June.

If Joanne Crowley gets their full support, she would have enough votes to exceed the quota.

Ms Crowley is married to a local man who has a large extended family and more votes are likely to flow from that direction.

Joanne, 28, was born in the village of Tychy, near the southern Polish city of Krakow.

She emigrated to Ireland five years ago and works in the Londis supermarket in Clonakilty, which is owned by local Fine Gael town councillor, and former mayor, Peter Walsh.

“Peter talked quite a lot about politics and I got interested so now I’m going to run for Fine Gael,” Joanne said.

“We have a very large Polish community here and I’m well known within it. So I’m hoping I won’t have to do too much pushing to get the votes. Anyway, a lot of them have told me already that they will vote for me.”

Joanne said that, if elected, she hoped to do more to get the Polish and Irish people to integrate.

Locally based Fine Gael county councillor Jim Daly, who is married to an Estonian, welcomed the selection of Joanne to contest the upcoming town council election

“I believe that Joanne’s contribution to local democracy in Clonakilty will go much further than just offering a voice to the Polish community. There is so much that we can learn from the whole eastern European experience in shaping a future for the town,” said Mr Daly.