Gurn to fight for local issues during second term as Manorhamilton MD Cathaoirleach

There were changes at the helm of the Manorhamiltion Municipal District with Cllr Felim Gurn elected to serve as Cathaoirleach for the coming year. 

He was elected at the Annual Meeting of Manorhamilton Municipal District which was held on June 19th.  

The Independent councillor was first elected to Leitrim Co Council in 2014, and previously served as Manorhamilton MD Cathaoirleach in 2018-2019. 

He was the outgoing Leas Cathaoirleach with Cllr. Mary Bohan succeeding him in that role.

Cllr Gurn plans to use his role to raise rural issues. 

First on his agenda is the roll out of a night-time rural bus link, with Cllr Gurn wanting to see Leitrim being used for the first such pilot scheme in the country. 

He also wants to see the Sligo, Leitrim, Northern Counties Railway (SLNCR) Greenway being developed to promote tourism in the region. “It’s going to be a game-changer,” he said.

Cllr Gurn also wants to see a reversal of a policy which he says allows a dairy farmer in Cork write-off their carbon footprint by planting Sitka Spruce trees in Leitrim. 

“For the first time [in many years], the Leitrim population has gone up,” Cllr Gurn said. He said there are also job opportunities in the country, with people able to find employment locally. 

“We don’t want to see our brightest and best talents going abroad,” he said. 

He stressed the importance of housing being built and provided in Leitrim, in addition to planning permission being granted to allow people build homes in the local community. 

Cllr Gurn is in favour of those who train in Ireland to be teachers, nurses or doctors, facing a moratorium to stop them travelling to work abroad for two years, in recognition of the contribution the State makes to their training and education. 

The Independent councillor said it is vital that young people are able to stay and work in their own communities.