Will Cllr Smollen run in local elections? Decision pending this weekend

Independent Councillor Sandy Feehan Smollen said she will make a decision this weekend on whether or not she will run in the upcoming local elections.

Cllr Smollen was co-opted onto Offaly County Council on September 18 last year, replacing her husband Cllr Ken Smollen who is seriously ill.

''We have to sit down this weekend and have a good long chat about it, we will discuss all the pros and cons. It's probable that I will run. But we have to make a definite decision, she said.

''We will get friends and family around the table. We have to make sure we are in the right position to do the right thing not just for ourselves, but for all the people who will vote. I have had a lot of good feedback. But we will have a good chat about it. It's important that people know you are making a decision for the right reason and will give it 100%,'' she said.

The Clara based councillor said that she has enjoyed her time on the council since last September. ''I've loved every minute of it. But I was working very hard in the community before that. I was Ken's election agent for the last local elections. I was in the background, so there was nothing new for me, except for attendance at the council meetings. I was always active in the community. A good few people know me in Tullamore as well.''

''You have to give people the option and give them a choice. I was never a huge believer in the whole gender thing. I was a big fan of Mary O Rourke who said, it's not about women or men, it's about the work you do. But I do think that women bring a different perspective and it's good to see different points of view.

Having sat around the table and being part of the action, I do see that women have something different, we definitely have a different perspective, but it's up to the electorate to decide. So this weekend we will make a firm decision. Ken is adamant, that I stand,'' added Cllr Smollen.