REJUVENATED veteran politician Fergus McDonnell has rolled back the years and been crowned the comeback kid of Offaly County Council. Speaking at the count centre in Mucklagh this morning after his election on the first count, the Edenderry man briefly reflected on a career of representation which stretches back to the days of the Town Commissions in 1985. Offaly's only Independent Ireland councillor said: “I was a Fianna Fail member then and was there for 29 consecutive years up to 2004 up to the abolition, sadly, of Town Councils and in between that then I was elected to Offaly County Council, 2004-2009 as a PD (Progressive Democrat).”He added: “I'm now with Independent Ireland, it's a new party, a new dynamic, there's been a huge demand nationally, [when] people look at national debate they see that there's commonality between all the main parties, and even including opposition in that they're all singing off the one hymn sheet. “So I know and I believe that Independent Ireland will make a significant difference locally but more significantly, nationally.”

Source: Irish Independent June 09, 2024 12:11 UTC