New Mayor of Clonmel Honoured to be following in footsteps of late Uncle
The new Mayor of Clonmel says his focus will be on progressing projects around the town and attracting investment after the impact of the pandemic on Clonmel. Councillor Michael Murphy was elected as the new Mayor at this weeks Clonmel Borough District AGM while Cllr John Fitzgerald was elected as Deputy Mayor.
The Fine Gael Councillor said it had taken him 12 years to get elected to the Chair and it was such an honour. He thanked his proposer, Cllr John Fitzgerald, and his seconder, Cllr Richie Molloy.
“Many previous Mayors inspired me, not least my late uncle Matt Slater who served three terms, special mention also of a mentor of mine, Sean Nyhan who also served for three terms I think, so many more as well.
“As a Borough District, Clonmel has found itself in the midst of the most significant public health crisis of our lifetime, a pandemic which continues to challenge almost every aspect of what we understand to be normal everyday life. As we emerge hopefully from this pandemic, the one constant has been our community spirit, it’s that same community spirit, that principle of working together and supporting each other will help us prevail and emerge stronger than ever.”
Cllr Murphy said Members can be assured of his commitment, respect and impartiality.
“Clonmel like many other towns faces many challenges, I intend to face those challenges as always with a sense of optimism, to look for opportunity within those challenges, to work with you, my fellow Councillors and our Council team, in order to realise the ambition and vision we have for our District.
“Over the last five years and within this newly formed Clonmel Borough District, we have put plans in place which set out our ambitions, as a Borough District, as a community to drive the Clonmel and surrounding areas, forward in terms of, for example, infrastructure, tourism, recreation, amenity and good health, the goal being always to make Clonmel and the surrounding areas of Marlfield, Rathkeevin, Lisronagh, Clerihan, Rosegreem, Kilcash, Ballypatrick and Kilsheelan, better places to live and conduct your business.
“However, it’s not just about putting those plans in place, now it’s about implementing those plans by securing the necessary investment to convert our shared ambitions into reality. The last 12 months has seen real progress in this regard throughout the District. We must build on this progress.”
“We must all work together, with a sense of shared vision, energy and enthusiasm, not just in terms of addressing the needs of our local communities across the Borough District, but also in making a statement that Clonmel has the capacity, the resources, the capability and the ambition to be a real player and to attract investment into our County.”
Cllr Murphy
In conclusion, Cllr Murphy said he looked forward to working with the members, District Manager Sinead Carr, District Administrator Jim Dillon, and District Engineer Eoin Powell, and all the team, over the next 12 months to deliver for the Clonmel Borough District.