Political pact puts mayoral double out of reach for Sinn Féin in Cork
Cllr Chris O’Leary had been elected last Friday week as lord mayor of the city.
But with a pact between Fianna Fáil and independent councillors on Cork County Council, the party will not have sufficient numbers to take the chain of office in County Hall.
Meanwhile, history is likely to be made at the county council’s annual general meeting, this week, Cllr John Paul O’Shea (Ind) remains favourite to become mayor.
If elected, he will be the youngest person in the county council to ever hold the chain of office. Aged 31, his election will end a record held by Senator Denis O’Donovan from Bantry, who had been the then county chairman in 1989 when he was 33.
Cllr O’Shea was first elected to the council in 2009 and, at the 2014 elections, secured a whopping 4,374 votes to be elected to the Kanturk-Mallow electoral area on the first count. It had been one of the biggest votes for any local authority member in the country.
The native of Lombardstown had steadily built up a significant political profile since taking a leave of absence from the HSE. He is currently chairman of the Kanturk-Mallow electoral area.
He has fought consistently for the retention of basic services in rural Ireland, such as the post office network and schools.
As part of the pact, Fianna Fáil will be entitled to the deputy mayorship. The party will nominate Skibbereen-based Cllr Joe Carroll.
A native of Dunmanway, retired Bus Éireann driver Mr Carroll is now a full-time public representative.
The father-of-two has lived in Skibbereen for the past 35 years.
