Loss of council divides representatives in Fermoy

ONE believes town councils were the bee’s knees of local democracy, the other that they were an “ineffectual talking shop”.

As both prepare to pack away electoral registers for the last time, the colleagues on a town council in Co Cork spoke of how they viewed the effectiveness of such bodies.

John Murphy, an Independent representative, has put in 36 years’ service — the longest in that town council’s history — and believes the small authority has been good for the people.