Former ministerial driver new Tipp board chief

A FORMER ministerial driver yesterday assumed high office himself.

Donie Shanahan from Toomevara, who once drove the State car for Minister for Defence Michael Smith, was elected chairman of the Tipperary County Board at convention held in Thurles.

Vice chairman for the past three years, Mr Shanahan succeeds Con Hogan, who bowed out after serving his statutory three-year term in the chair.

In a two-man contest for the position, former north-Tipperary chairman, Mr Shanahan, defeated out going mid-Tipperary chairman Michael Bourke by 184 votes to 93.

It was a disappointing day for Mr Bourke. In the contest for vice chair, vacated by Mr Shanahan, the Upperchurch/Drombane man lost out to former intercounty star John Costigan from Templemore, by 167 votes to 105.

But, if Mr Bourke had to swallow two bitter pills of defeat, Noel Morris had to digest the most bitter pill of all.

Having served for 11 years as Tipperary’s Central Council representative Mr Morris was ousted from the position by outgoing board chairman, Con Hogan from Marlfield, who polled 167 votes to Mr Morris’s 105 in a two-man fight for the position.

Afterwards, a diplomatic but clearly disappointed Mr Morris said: “in all things in life you have got to take the rough with the smooth.”

The elections formed the highlight of what was a low-key Convention. County secretary Michael O’Brien’s excellent report was adopted without comment as was county treasurer’s Michael Nolan’s report on financial

affairs. On assuming the chairmanship, Mr Shanahan said that he felt humble in following in the footsteps of so many legendary personalities who had sat in the Tipperary chair over the years.

This year, the Tipperary County Board had a working profit of €144,585 in comparison to €400,748 the previous year.

Income totalled €4,425,086, with expenditure mounting to €4,307,410.