James Breen. Photograph: Eamon Ward.
ONE OF Clare’s most colourful politicians, former TD, James Breen (IND) has died at the age of eighty one.
Kilnamona native Breen’s poll-topping performance which saw him elected to the Dáil was one of the leading national stories of the 2002 General Election and the highpoint of his thirty four year in politics.
His health declined in recent years after suffering a stroke where he was cared for and kept up to speed on all things politics and GAA by his loving wife Eileen.
After leaving Fianna Fáil in 2000, James’ successful bid to be elected as an Independent TD in 2002 was a political triumph. He topped the poll with 9,721 first preferences, just shy of the 9,961 quota and was elected on the second count with 10,054 votes.
Narrow defeats in the 2007 and 2011 General Elections saw James miss out as the last candidate in the respective races. He lost his seat in 2007 by 456 votes to Joe Carey (FG) and again on the last count in 2011, this time by 1,501 votes to Timmy Dooley TD (FF).
One of his great highlights in politics was becoming Mayor of Clare in June 2015. Speaking at the time, he said, “When I was elected a Dáil Deputy I remember saying that politically this wouldn’t be surpassed until today. I am proud to be the first man from Kilnamona to be elected as Chairman of Clare County Council. I can think of no greater honour than to represent Clare as Cathaoirleach. When I look around the Council Chamber, it gives me a great sense of pride to be included amongst them”.
During his twelve months as Mayor, he became the first Clare Mayor to ever visit Downing Street and Westminster Abbey and one of the first mayors in eight hundred years to attend the ceremonies in London.
First elected to Clare County Council in 1985, Breen secured 1,038 first preference votes in his first run for office to claim the fourth of six seats in the Miltown Malbay area. Six years later, he retained his seat and was elected on the first count with 1,072 votes.
In 1999, James ran in the Ennis area and was again elected on the first count, amassing 1,300 first preference votes.
Upon his return from the Dáil, Breen topped the poll in Ennis West in 2009 with 1,747 votes to secure another first count election.
His final election was in 2019 when the Ennis Municipal District had the longest ballot paper in the country and again James was first past the post. He had 1,134 first preferences and was the first candidate deemed elected when getting over the line on the eleventh count.
A former SIPTU shop steward in DeBeers, many of his former colleagues in the Shannon factory became active canvassers during his political career. Haulier Eugene Drennan remained one of his main political advisors and a key figure behind Breen’s successes.
James announced in March 2019 that he was retiring from politics and would not contest the 2019 local elections. Speaking at his final Council meeting, James recalled, “I came in and said ‘I just stepped in to see you for a while’, I didn’t expect to be here for so long. I served under five County Managers, we had our arguments but what happened inside here stayed in here, we never held any grudges and got the utmost respect”.
Always known to sing a tune, James’ final act as an elected member in Áras Contae an Chláir was to bow out with a rendition of ‘My Lovely Rose of Clare’.
Despite leaving politics, James remained vocal on issues including calling for Clare GAA to seek an investigation into the appointment of referees following James Owens issuing a black card to Aidan McCarthy and a subsequent penalty to Tipperary during the 2021 Munster SHC semi-final. He was also critical of Clare GAA for failing to stand up to the introduction of an online ticketing system for inter-county fixtures.
When it came to election counts, he was an astute analyst and was always one of the first persons to arrive in the count centre, no matter the venue.
A lifelong follower of Clare GAA, James served as the county’s delegate to Munster Council in 1992 and was Kilnamona’s County Board delegate for twenty four years up to 1995.
In a statement to The Clare Echo, Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) said he was “deeply saddened to hear” of James’ death. He stated, “James was a huge figure in the political landscape of Clare, serving our county with fierce independence and unwavering dedication to the people who elected him.
“Whether topping the poll as an Independent TD in 2002 or making history as the first Kilnamona man to be elected Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, James always put the needs of his constituents first. It was a true privilege to serve alongside James on Clare County Council for a decade, from 2009 until his retirement from local government in 2019. In the chamber, he was a formidable, straight-talking politician, but outside of it, he was an absolute gentleman filled with wit, good humour, and a genuine affection for his community,” Deputy Crowe added.
