DOG FIGHT PREDICTED FOR COUNCIL CO-OPTION
4 September 1996
A decision will be made tomorrow (Thursday) night at a meeting of the Castlebar Fianna Fail Comhairle Ceantair as to who will replace the late Mr. Dick Morrin on Mayo County Council.
Mr. Morrin (66) who died suddenly in July had been a member of the authority for fourteen years and at the time of his passing was vice-chairman of the Western Health Board.
Whoever is selected will automatically be co-opted unopposed to take the seat in the chamber of Mayo County Council.
There are two front runners in the fight for the seat and it will be up to the 92 delegates at tomorrow night's meeting to make the final choice. It has earlier been anticipated that Beverley Cooper-Flynn the 30-years old daughter of EU Commissioner Padraig Flynn would be the natural choice to fill the vacancy seeing that she had been selected as one of the party's candidates in the next General Election.
A period at County Council level would stand her well when the General Election came around. But Castlebar vet, George O'Malley, has also declared his interest in the seat, one which he claims he is entitled to take seeing he was just narrowly defeated for it by Labour's Johnny Mee at the last local elections.
In normal circumstances he would be the automatic choice but with the entry of Ms. Cooper- Flynn as a General Election candidate, the matter has become somewhat clouded. However, Ms. Cooper Flynn's recent abortive stand on the CAT Scan VAT saga alienated her from many of the Fianna Fail supporters who were actively fund raising for the provision of the £450,000 appliance. She was rapped by Council Fianna Fail chairman Pat McHugh for making a politic football the issue.
But it will be down to the delegates to decide which of the two will occupy
the council seat when the authority meets in Castlebar on Monday evening.
Connaught Telegraph - News - September 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sport - September 1996
