Election duo left out in the cold

TWO high-profile county councillors accepted apologies after they were mistakenly omitted from a local authority’s new publicity magazine which was distributed in their town.

Cork county manager, Martin Riordan, met Ballincollig-based councillors, Fianna Fáil’s Mark O’Keeffe and Fine Gael’s Derry Canty to apologise for the error – blamed on confusion surrounding electoral area boundary changes.

Mr Canty has represented Ballincollig for almost 18 years. Mr O’Keeffe was co-opted on to the council to replace his father, Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe, when the dual mandate ended in 2004.

Their town, which was part of the Carrigaline electoral area, is now part of the Macroom electoral area.

Both men, who are standing in the Macroom area for the first time on June 5, were furious earlier this week when they discovered their photographs were not included in copies of Cork County Council’s County News magazine which were delivered to Ballincollig homes – their electoral heartland.

The back page of the magazine highlighted the council’s projects and achievements in that area over the last five years, but featured photographs of Macroom councillors.

There was no reference to Mr O’Keeffe or Mr Canty – who worked to deliver most of the projects.

Both men were angry that there was no reference to them in the magazine, coming as it did just days before the election. But they accepted Mr Riordan’s apologies yesterday and agreed to move on.

It is understood the council is planning to distribute new leaflets to Ballincollig in the coming days explaining the boundary changes.