Sinn Féin/Fine Gael plan Cork County Council pact

A potential pact between Civil War enemies has surfaced in Cork County Council, with Sinn Féin and Fine Gael coalescing in a move which may seriously worry Fianna Fáil — the party which currently has control over the local authority.

To further compound the shifting of political alliances, a thus-far “gentle war of words” over ownership of the 1916 commemoration was fought out between previous Republican bedfellows Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil.

Several eyebrows were raised during a vote on filling a council representative position on the board of University College Cork.

This pitted Fianna Fáil’s Bernard Moynihan, brother of Cork North-West TD Michael, against Fine Gael’s Michael Hegarty.

Sinn Féin members sided with Hegarty, while the majority of the Independents, who have a pact with Fianna Fáil, mostly cast their votes in favour of Moynihan.

Fine Gael should have had the numbers, but some of its councillors were missing for the vote, which ended up tied at 25 each.

The casting vote then fell to Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Alan Coleman (FF), who declared that “it’s all fair in love and war” as he put his party colleague over the line.

The Irish Examiner can reveal that Sinn Féin sided with Fine Gael because tentative talks are planned to take place between both parties

that should lead to a Sinn Féin councillor getting at least one term as mayor over the remaining four years of the council.

One Sinn Féin source said Fine Gael now realised it could have had more power if it had decided to enter a pact with the party in the first place.

A Fine Gael source admitted talks had taken place, but played them down by describing them as “in their infancy.”

Meanwhile, in the battle to claim ownership of the 1916 commemoration, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin fired the first salvos.

Cllr Frank O’Flynn (FF) proposed an all-party committee be set up by the council to organise next year’s commemorations in Cork.

However, he was warned off by Cllr Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (SF), who pointed out that he was head of a special purposes committee which had already discussed putting a programme together to commemorate Cork’s role in the Rising.

Fianna Fáil members persisted in saying they wanted an all-party committee, but Ó Laoghaire reiterated that it was all under control — his control.

Cllr Mary Hegarty (FG) pointed out that the committee in fact had all-party representation.