*Joe Floyd

It’s never been about voting for the party when it comes to politics for Joe Floyd, rather he opted to go for the candidate he felt had the most integrity, he’s calling on the voters of the Killaloe Municipal District to do likewise.

In 1974, Joe became a member of SIPTU and was part of the trade union for over thirty years. This is what he pinpoints as his political experience as he fought the cause for co-workers. “The labour courts and the rights commission, that’s all the experience I’d have of fighting for people, I’d fight till the bitter end, I’d never give in, I would rather lose a case than give in, I wouldn’t settle nothing, I didn’t settle nothing anything I went with I won it”.

His reasons for going forward come back to his slogan of “there has to be a better way”. “I was thinking about it for three weeks, I was thinking about it a week beforehand and then I went for it on the day. I was delighted he stamped it and I had to run back and tell my missus what I had done, I told the man that stamped it not to hold his hopes that I could be back for my €100, if it upset her I wouldn’t of ran but it didn’t. My family are all behind me now”.

“I’m looking at too many people great friends of mine that are on the margins and they shouldn’t be on the margins for the amount of work they have done, they are being skinned at every corner. Everyone is being policed, to think that people that are working and have two wages can hardly afford to do things for their children, worried every night and everyday, you would know to meet them, people that I grew up with and were happy, there was no other stress the whole time. I don’t know what is happening and my slogan is there has to be a better way and I know there is a better way. One crowd can’t keep taking everything and leaving everyone else behind”.

As the latest addition to the race in the Killaloe Municipal District, the only Tulla candidate has been pleasantly surprised with the reaction since announcing his candidacy and revealed the phone calls offering support including one from a staunch Fine Gael man have put a pep in his step on the canvass.

More party supporters will need to do likewise if Floyd is to overcome one of the sitting councillors, to do this he has encouraged voters to back the candidate as opposed to the party. “My affiliation with political parties is if I like the person. I went for them if I thought they were going to work for Clare or do something and had the integrity to do as much as they could, the integrity they had was something unreal, Donal Carey, Sylvester Barrett and Brendan Daly they worked and they weren’t paid as much as the crowd now, they definitely did as much as they could and Clare is a big county. I’d have come along from that era and as soon as it got nearer and nearer with the new crowd I probably didn’t pick out anyone because I didn’t feel that they were working for the people they should work for, James Breen was the last man I’d have been associated with”.

A former road worker with Clare County Council, the father of four was involved in a dramatic standoff with the local authority prior to his departure. In May 2010, he locked himself inside a van in Feakle with a lighter and petrol in protest against the Council’s hiring of outside contractors. Following his subsequent dismissal, he took a case to the Employment Appeals Tribunal where he was awarded €30,000.

He told The Clare Echo that his actions were prompted by ‘improper use of money and resources’. However if elected, Joe confirmed he would be more than happy to work alongside the County Council and praised the impact of Chief Executive Pat Dowling. “If I do get elected and hopefully that might happen, we won’t know till the boxes are opened but I’d hope to be doing what the rest of them aren’t. You’re a servant to the people, the County Manager is a servant to the people, the County Manager is a servant to the people, the people are not expected to genuflect in front of him and beg anything off him, all the data should be out there what people are entitled to and that’s what I intend to bring to it, there will be transparency and working for the people. They should be working for the people and not have the people struggling to get information from them”.

Now aged 64, Floyd admitted he views this as his first and last chance of entering local politics. “I’m depending on the people that know me well and the new people that have came to me. I’m depending on the growth of the population in Tulla to set me on my way with a good vote behind me and then I’m hoping the people of East Clare that know me so well from all the sports and horse hunting that they will throw a vote in the hat for me and if they don’t the best of luck and good health to them and their families, I have nothing against anyone, if I don’t make it I don’t make it and if I don’t I won’t be going again in five years, age slips on and it is time to retire but I’d give it five years of my best if I got elected, my very best”.

Related News

jarlath burns 1-2
GAA President Burns to maintain Scariff Harbour Festival's links with Northern Ireland & GAA
michael mcnamara 3
AI offers generational opportunity for Mid-West to become Ireland's digital home - McNamara
shannon airport departures 1-2
Passenger numbers up 7% to 1.04m for first half of 2025 at Shannon Airport
shannon airport fencing 2
Shannon Airport install new security fencing following recent breaches

Advertisement

Latest News
shannon airport departures 1-2
Passenger numbers up 7% to 1.04m for first half of 2025 at Shannon Airport
shannon airport fencing 2
Shannon Airport install new security fencing following recent breaches
1 DSC_9466
'There's no way we're not going to go again' - O'Donnell says no decisions made but exits from Clare camp unlikely
Killaloe-bridge
Trial pedestrianisation period announced for Killaloe to Ballina Bridge
brendan o'mara
Two Gardaí working full-time on case of €10m drug seizure involving Meelick ex Ryanair pilot
Premium
monaghan v clare 29-06-25 roisin considine jennifer duffy 1
Monaghan make their mark & send Clare out of ladies football championship
éire óg v doora barefield 29-06-25 cusack cup 1
Éire Óg win Cusack Cup for second time with dominant extra time display
waterford v clare minor 28-06-25 liam murphy gearoid o'shea james o'donnell 1
Déise deserving winners over Clare in All-Ireland minor final
tipperary v clare camogie 28-06-25 niamh costigan roisin begley 1
Tipp thump Clare but Carmody's charges still have All-Ireland quarter-final to look forward to
laurel lodge 07-11-23 3
Laurel Lodge resident further remanded in custody for alleged assault of retired judge

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.

Advertisement