by Alan Jacques
(Pic: Brian Gavin Press 22)
NEWLY elected Metropolitan Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Jerry O’Dea hopes to see the continued creation of a “living city” where families will want to live and walk the streets without fear.
After securing the mayoralty with 11 votes from Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at City Hall last Friday evening, the Mulgrave Street-based publican also spoke about fostering further integration between the city and all its “fine third level institutions” and furthering Limerick’s success on the sporting field.
“Our famous Thomond Park needs no further mention and the reopening of the Market’s Field with the return of Limerick FC was a joy to behold,” said Mayor O’Dea.
Sinn Fein ran 22-year-old City East representative, Cmhlr Séighin Ó Ceallaigh as a candidate for mayor last Friday, while the Anti Austerity Alliance put Cllr Paul Keller forward for the position.
AAA councillor Cian Prendiville predicted the next 12 months will see major battles on the council and for ordinary people of the city. In a fervent burst of sloganeering, he told council members that they were voting for “change, not just chains”, “justice, not junkets” and “policies, not personalities”.
“The last year has seen the AAA councillors act as whistleblowers on this council. Whistleblowers on the cuts. Whistleblowers on the junkets. Whistleblowers on the poor planning. That’s the kind of Mayor and council we need for the year ahead,” Cllr Prendiville commented.
Sinn Fein leader on Limerick City and County Council, Cllr Maurice Quinlivan claimed that they were electing what he believed to be “a pseudo mayor for a pseudo council”. He pointed out that a a significant number of Limerick people are totally opposed to having two mayors.
The two Labour Party councillors present on the night, Joe Leddin and Elena Secas, abstained from voting.
Meanwhile, newly elected Metropolitan Deputy Mayor, Cllr Shane Clifford, stated that there was “a lot of hypocrisy” over the debacle about having two mayors. He also called on public representatives to make the “biggest effort to work together”.
