New Councillor McGuinness in Inishowen

Inishowen businessman, Johnny McGuinness, son of the late Donegal County Councillor, Bernard McGuinness, has been officially co-opted onto the council to fill his late father's seat.

Cllr McGuinness's co-option took place at the resumed Donegal County Council plenary meeting currently taking place in the Aura leisure centre in Letterkenny and online. He was proposed by Cllr Martin Harley (Fine Gael) and seconded by Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh (Fine Gael).

Cllr Harley said the incoming Cllr McGuinness would have big boots to fill.

He added: “But I know, from knowing Johnny for years, he will fill them very adequately and be a great addition to our council. He will be a great representative for North Inishowen and myself and Jimmy and Barry are looking forward to working with him here and it would give me great pleasure to proposed Johnny McGuinness.

Seconding Cllr McGuinness, Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh joked it had proved very difficult to co-opt him on to Donegal County Council.

He added: “This is the third attempt now and I hope you are not going to be as awkward about everything else.

“Johnny is succeeding his father, Bernard, but he brings a lot to this in his own right too. He has a young family, he knows the needs of young families. He has been involved in business, he knows the needs of small business. He knows the needs of farming. He directly knows the needs of people affected by mica. He is bringing a lot to the table in his own right and I am delighted to welcome him to Donegal County Council. It is a very proud day for all of his family.

Deeming Cllr McGuinness duly co-opted, Cathaoirleach Jack Murray (Sinn Féin) congratulated him. Cllr Murray said: “It is a great privilege to come on to Donegal County Council and I am sure it is a very emotional day, under the circumstances, replacing your late father, for you and your family. It will be extremely bittersweet but I will say you are coming into a very, very strong team in Inishowen. Your father in particular believed in putting politics aside for the greater good of Inishowen and I have no doubt you will fill his shoes.

“I would just ask now that you go a bit easier on me than your dad did at times. I look forward to working with you.”

Accepting his co-option, Cllr McGuinness said thanked the councillors who proposed and seconded his co-option and the members from the Inishowen municipal district.

He said: “I am truly honoured and privileged to take up this role and to continue with my late father's work, especially the completion and delivery of projects he had earmarked for the local area.

“I hope I can emulate the effort and work rate that he put into his role as a county councillor. I would like to thank my financeé, Tracy, my family and my friends for encouraging me to put my name forward for the selection convention. It turned out to be a highly unusual convention, held online from my father's office in the kitchen.

“It felt strangely comforting to sit around the kitchen table at the location of much of my father's hard work.

“On behalf of my family, I would like to say it has been an emotional time and we could not have gotten through it without the support we received from our friends, neighbours and, indeed, my father's fellow councillors and council staff.

“Finally, I would like to say it iw a privilege to take over my father's seat and I look forward to working with each of you to deliver for the people of Inishowen and Donegal,” said Cllr McGuinness.

Cllr McGuinness was welcomed onto Donegal County Council by his fellow councillors and chief executive, John McLaughlin.

The new Cllr McGuinness will sit on the: Inishowen Municipal District Committee; Donegal County Council Mica Redress Committee; Donegal County Council Brexit Committee; Donegal County Council Fisheries Committee; Donegal County Council Agriculture Committee; Donegal Health Committee; Donegal County Council Cultural Committee; Economic Development, Enterprise and Emergency SPC; Roads and Transportation SPC; the A5 Committee; and the Housing and Corporate SPC.

He will also sit on the North West Regional Development Group and the Inishowen Development Partnership and will be appointed chairperson of the Housing and Corporate Strategic Policy Committee.