Four candidates in the frame for Cooney’s Council seat in ‘Mills Civil War’

*Joe Cooney TD (FG). Photograph: John Mangan

JOE COONEY’s TD (FG) election to Dáil Éireann has ignited plenty of competition within the Fine Gael ranks to take his seat on Clare County Council.

Cnoc na Gaoithe in Tulla is to host the selection convention on Sunday evening as party members in East Clare determine who will fill the void on the local authority left following Cooney’s election to the Dáil. The O’Callaghans Mills man was first elected to Clare County Council in 2004 and delivered poll-topping performances in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.

As of Wednesday evening, there are four candidates going forward for the selection convention, three of which have strong connections to Cooney’s native Mills. This has prompted one political observer to remark to The Clare Echo, “it is looking like a Mills Civil War”.

The successful candidate will join Cllr Pat Burke (FG) as the party’s representative in the Killaloe Municipal District and will also assume Cooney’s post on the Physical Development Strategic Policy Committee which is chaired by Burke.

The Clare Echo understands that Edmund Jennings, Robbie Madden, Frances O’Mara and Conor Ryan are among the candidates that will go before the party membership this weekend.

Two-time local election candidate Ger O’Halloran (FG) had been touted as a potential candidate while Bodyke based Sinead Carey who was campaign manager for Leonora Carey (FG) in the General Election was also linked as a runner.

Tulla based Edmund Jennings has held numerous roles as an officer with Fine Gael at a local level in Clare and was one of their key figures behind the scenes during the local elections in 2014 and 2019. He is the managing director and founder of the Shannon based recruitment company, CREGG.

Scariff native Robbie Madden who was heavily involved in the General Election campaign of Cooney is understood to have the backing of the newly elected TD. Madden now resides in O’Callaghans Mills and runs his own construction company.

Now living in Bodyke, Frances O’Mara is a native of O’Callaghans Mills. She formerly ran O’Mara’s Bookmakers in Scariff.

Of the four, Conor Ryan is the youngest candidate. Aged in his thirties, he has qualified as an engineer and now works full-time as a farmer. He is Chairman of the O’Callaghans Mills cumann of Fine Gael. He is a son of Michael Ryan and Phil St Ledger who formerly taught at O’Callaghans Mills NS.