Voting pact paves way for Lowry’s son to become mayor

A VOTING pact between Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the political grouping formed by Independent TD Michael Lowry has paved the way for Mr Lowry’s son to be installed as mayor of North Tipperary.

Micheál Lowry was unopposed for the position as the Fianna Fáil grouping on North Tipperary County Council did not have sufficient votes to pose a serious challenge for the post.

Mr Lowry’s elevation has increased speculation that he is being groomed to succeed his father as an independent TD for North Tipperary.

And the pact between Fine Gael and Labour councillors with the political grouping that Mr Lowry snr founded comes despite calls from Eamon Gilmore that the independent TD should resign following the findings of the MoriartyTribunal published last March.

Speaking at the time, Enda Kenny said that in an ideal world Mr Lowry would resign, “but this is not an ideal world”.

The new mayor had the backing of the four councillors of his father’s former party, Fine Gael, along with the three members of the Labour Party and the other three members of the so-called Lowry Grouping, Councillors “Rocky” McGrath, Michael O’Meara and Eddie Moran.

With this kind of support Mr Lowry jnr had a majority of 11 votes and was always a sure bet for the top position on the 21-member council.

Fianna Fáil, who held power on the council for three decades, has seen its strength diminish greatly.

In the space of a decade the number of party members on the council has halved and now stands at only six councillors.

Michael Lowry snr was present at the council’s AGM in Saint Patrick’s College in Thurles earlier this week to see his eldest son elected to a position he himself never attained in his long years of service as a Fine Gael member on the county council in the 1980s and 1990s.

Also present to witness the occasion was the new mayor’s partner Martina, and his grandparents, John and Noreen McGrath and other members of the Lowry family.

Mr Lowry, who was first elected to the council in 2004, was proposed for the position of mayor by Cllr Michael O’Meara of the Lowry Grouping and seconded by Cllr Jonathan Meaney of the Labour Party.