Fianna Fail takes control of Offaly County Council

Following their strong showing in the local elections, Fianna Fail has taken control of Offaly County Council for the coming year with local businessman, Tony McCormack, being elected as Cathaoirleach and newcomer from Birr, Audrey Hennessy Kennedy taking up the position of Leas-Cathaoirleach.

In a move which was widely anticipated, the eight Fianna Fail members on the council receiving the backing of Independent councillors John Leahy and Sean O'Brien, which ensured a majority for the party on the 19-seat council which met for the first time this afternoon (Friday).

Cllr McCormack was nominated by his Fianna Fail colleague from Clara, Cllr Frank Moran, and seconded by newcomer in the Tullamore electoral area, Ollie Bryant, while Audrey Hennessy Kennedy was nominated by Cllr Peter Ormond and seconded by Cllr John Leahy.

Fine Gael nominated Cllr John Clendennen for the position of Cathaoirleach and Cllr Neil Feighery for Leas Cathaoirleach, but they failed to secure the requisite number of votes for either position.

Cllr McCormack, who is a native of Tullamore and has been operating his own printing business for the past 22 years, was elected by10 votes to five with four abstentions, including all three Sinn Fein members, Aoife Masterson, Claire Murray and Seán Maher and newly-elected Independent Cllr for the Edenderry area, Fergus McDonnell.

Cllr Audrey Hennessy Kennedy, who took her seat in the council chamber for the first time today and succeeds Cllr Danny Owens, was also elected by 10 votes to five, with the three Sinn Féin Cllrs and Fergus McDonnell abstaining on the vote for the Leas Cathaoirleach position.

Tony McCormack was co-opted onto Offaly County Council in 2017 to fill the vacancy created by Sinéad Dooley when she left to take up the position of assistant chief executive with Irish Rural Link, and successfully secured his seat in both the 2019 and 2024 local elections. He replaces fellow party colleague for the Edenderry area, Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, who topped the poll for Fianna Fail in the recent local elections.

In his acceptance speech, Cllr McCormack thanked all those who had voted for him and paid tribute to his wife, Joan, his sons, Seán and Jacob, and his mother, whom he described as always being his “rock and biggest supporter.” He also paid tribute to his father, who passed away last year and said “I'm sure he's up there somewhere looking down with a big smile” and he extended thanks to his wider family circle also including his sisters and brother.

The new Cathaoirleach listed out his priorities for the coming year, including the N52 link road for Durrow; new IDA industrial parks for Tullamore, Edenderry and Birr; the new Midlands Hospice; the Tullamore Regeneration Framework Plan, housing and tourism, among others.

Cllr McCormack said he would seek meetings with local business groups to see how he could advance the business agenda across the county, and with the IDA. He also said he would like to champion the cause of “the most vulnerable” people in the local community, and would like the council to look at new traffic calming measures. “We must not write off the speed ramps that residents are looking for because its only a matter of time before we have serious accidents” he said.

He also referred to the rights of tenants in local authority housing and said he wants the council and the housing associations to make their tenants adhere to tenancy rules. “In a few instances people are living beside neighbours from hell and they shouldn't have to put up with what they have to put up with in their own homes” he said.