Popular community champion selected to replace newly elected Dail Deputy on Offaly County Council

OFFALY Fianna Fail have selected Tullamore native, Shane Murray, to be co-opted onto Offaly County Council to replace Tony McCormack who was recently elected TD.

Two candidates put their names before the packed convention – Enda Guilfoyle, a self-employed business man and member of Ber Cowen Cumann Clara since his teenage years and Shane Murray, an employee of Tullamore Distillery and member of the James O’Connor Cumann Tullamore.

This was a second outing for both candidates. Enda had sought to be co-opted in 2011 following on the election of Barry Cowen as a TD but lost out to Paddy Rowland. Shane Murray contested the local elections in 2009 when he was pipped at the post by Declan Harvey who took a seat on the 11^th count by 38 votes.

In a keenly contested convention, Shane Murray was the favoured candidate by the voting members who gathered in the Bridge House Hotel on Thursday night.

Addressing the convention after the result was announced by Denis Tierney, Cathaoirleach of the Offaly Comhairle Dailceantair, Enda Guilfoyle congratulated Shane on his selection. He thanked those who had supported him including Cllr Frank Moran. He was delighted to see that by putting his name before convention that the party was energised by the contest and showed the strength of the party in the county.

In a statement following the convention the Chairperson of Tullamore Comhairle Ceantair, P.J. Lynam congratulated Shane Murray on his selection at the convention. He wished him every success in his endeavours to work as a new councillor in Offaly County Council.

P.J sent his commiserations to Enda Guilfoyle and thanked him and Clara Cumann in all their efforts to contest the vacant seat in the council.

“While we have an internal competition within our organisation now it's important  that we work together as a party going forward. We can be very proud in the Fianna Fail Tullamore Comhairle Ceantair area with Barry Cowen as MEP, Tony McCormack as TD, and four sitting councillors. Frank Moran, Declan Harvey, Oliver Bryant and newly selected Shane Murray to be co-opted at the next council meeting. I want to thank director of elections Peter Waters and able assisted Matt McCormack with all the members and friends for their tireless efforts throughout the campaign.

In his address, the successful candidate, Shane Murray said: “Its heart warming to see everyone here and thank you all foe the mandate your after giving me , To Enda Guilfoyle, thank you for putting your name forward and making a contest here tonight, to Enda’s supporters I promise to work hard for you in from Horseleap, Tubber, Clara, Ballycumber and the Island by working and supporting your Counsellor Frank Moran as Frank continues to deliver for that area.
To the members from Rahan, Mucklagh, Blueball,  Killeigh and Killoughey again thank you for turning out tonight and putting your  trust in me., I will work with Cllr Oliver Bryant who will continue to deliver for you,
Ballykilmurray, Durrow and Tullamore will be served well by my good friend and  Cllr. Declan Harvey and myself.
To our new T.D. Tony McCormack, these members worked very hard in the general election campaign to get you elected and I know you will do us proud. Thank you Tony!
And Barry Cowen M.E.P. thank you for all you do for this party and this county and now on the European stage, thank you Barry,
To Connor Gallagher from H.Q. thank you for overseeing this convention tonight, and use this LEA as a template as how it should be done as we have a great active member ship which is clear to see here again tonight we have a fanatic chairperson in former Birr Town councillor Denis Tierney and secretary in former Offaly county and Tullamore Town councillor Miriam O’Callaghan who look after Offaly Fianna Fáil so well.
To both the chairs of the Fianna Fáil cumann and Comhairlí Ceantair Mr. Peter Waters and P.J. Lynam thank you both very much. Finally thank you to my wife Emer who looks after everything for me , l couldn’t do this without you! My children Dónal and Sinéad thank you . My employer The Tullamore Distillery thank you for your support in this. Now it’s about service to the public that we represent. Let the work begain.”

Newly elected TD for Offaly, Deputy Tony McCormack commented: “First of all, I want to thank everyone for their wonderful work during my election campaign. It is not possible to become a TD without the help of your family, your friends and most importantly your fellow party members. It’s a credit to our members and a credit to the legacy of the Cowen family that we have such a strong party in this county and that we got across the line. This only happened because of all the work that was done by each and every one of you. The hard work has already started on retaining that seat in the next general election, whenever that will be.
I want to repay your trust and the trust of the electorate by working tirelessly to make sure that Offaly prospers. We are in a great place at the moment, the soundings that I’m hearing are very positive. There will be at least 500 houses built in Tullamore in the next 18 months and more across the county, there’s some great news on healthcare also, with the new hospice and the well wood hospital. A new retail project that will bring new shape to our town centre is in the offing. Not to mention the projects that Offaly county council are undertaking for all our towns and villages across the county. It’s very exciting times ahead.
But tonight is about Shane Murray and his success at tonight’s convention. I want to congratulate Shane and his family and wish him every success in his new career as a councillor. Shane is a great community man and he has been involved with many groups and organisations over the years and is now chairperson of the Tidy Towns and doing a great job. I know he’ll make a fine councillor and he’ll work hard for the Tullamore MD.
I want to commiserate with Enda Guilfoyle. it’s great to see an interest in the cooption process and people putting their name forward and competition is healthy.
Being a councillor is probably the hardest job in Irish politics, it’s a full time job with a part time salary. You’re only as good as your last game so you are constantly on the move. You don’t have an office and people have become more demanding. It’s 24/7/365 and that’s the truth. We are very lucky to have great hard working FF councillors in this county, I know, I worked with them all and we are exceptionally lucky here in Tullamore where we have four Deckie, Frank, Ollie and now Shane. And they all played their part in getting me elected to the Dáil. They all worked tirelessly in their areas to mobilise our members and canvass every door. I’m immensely proud to call them my colleagues and more importantly, my friends. Thank you lads for all your time and hard work. Now it’s time for me help all four of you get reelected in 4.5 years time. I am and my office will always be available to you, for whatever you need. We need to work as a team to get the best results. We will leave no stone unturned in our endeavours to keep FF where it belongs, at the forefront in this county. Lastly, There’s two men I forgot to mention when I made my victory speech in the count centre twelve days ago and that’s the two men who were there night, noon an morning for me, who calmed me down, when things were getting a bit hairy, who kept the show on the road. My two directors of election, That’s Peter Waters and my brother Matt. Thank you guys for everything. I really appreciate everything you both did. “

Denis Tierney closed the convention on what he described as a proud occasion for Fianna Fail in the county and what a hugely successful year for the party, locally and nationally. He said this was made possible by the collective endeavours of all our members. He extending seasonal wishes to all and looked forward to a successful AGM early in the new year.