News from Carrickmacross

PJ O‘Hanlon Is New Mayor

by Joe McCabe, Apex News & Public Relations
17th June 2010

Fianna Fail councillor PJ O‘Hanlon has been elected unopposed as the new Mayor of Carrickmacross. This was at the AGM of Carrickmacross Town Council on Monday on the proposal of Fianna Fail Cllr Padraig McNally seconded by Sinn Fein Cllr Matt Carthy.

Cllr O‘Hanlon‘s election follows weeks of inter-party negotiations. Fine Gael Cllr Mark Clarke has been elected Deputy Mayor on the proposal of Fine Gael Cllr Teresa Carolan seconded by Sinn Fein councillor Noel Keelan.

At the start of the meeting outgoing Mayor Mary Kerr Conlon said that she had enjoyed her year as Mayor and went on to thank the council administrative staff including Town Manager Paul Clifford, Town Clerk Frances Matthews, the council outdoor staff, her fellow councillors and the people of Carrickmacross for their support during her year as Mayor. She then made particular praise of the sewerage and water contractors P&S contractors. “Anything that I ever asked them to do they did,” she said.

All councillors thanked Cllr Kerr Conlon for her efforts as Mayor. Cllr Matt Carthy with reference to the Israeli Ambassador debacle in January said that he regretted that ‘that one spat which clouded Cllr Kerr Conlon‘s term as Mayor‘ had happened apart from which Cllr Kerr Conlon had served the town well as Mayor. “Apart from that your have served this town with your heart on your sleeve.”

In proposing Cllr PJ O‘Hanlon as Mayor, Cllr Padraig McNally said that Cllr O‘Hanlon was now in his second term as a councillor in the town. “He is a keen and very interested councillor at town and County Council level,” said Cllr McNally. Cllr Padraig McNally said of the outgoing Mayor: “Few if any members have ever done as much for a town as you do and for that you have my respect.” Cllr Noel Keelan was also congratulated on his term as Deputy Mayor.

As expected as there were no counter proposals for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor both Cllr O‘Hanlon and Cllr Clarke were deemed elected unopposed. Both pledged to do their very upmost for the town of Carrickmacross in the year ahead.