*Cllr Michael Begley (IND) second from right.
CLARE’s longest serving councillor paid almost €2,000 to acquire an e-bike in advance of last year’s local elections.
All election candidates are obliged to disclose their expenditure and donations within sixty days of polling day as per the Local Elections (Disclosure Of Donations And Expenditure) Act, 1999.
Included in the expenses bill for Cllr Michael Begley (IND) for the local elections is a €1750 bill to purchase an e-bike.
When questioned by The Clare Echo on the €1750 e-bike, Cllr Begley explained, “I did that on the basis that rural canvassing is very awkward when driving, I found it extremely helpful and advantageous when canvassing rural areas. When you go down a rural road with thirty houses you’ll make three sections of that, you will park the car to walk and do ten houses and come back again. I do most of the canvassing on my own so that was the purpose of getting it and it worked out very well”.
Prices of e-bikes can vary from under €500 to €3,300. Cllr Begley confirmed that he purchased an EZEGO at The Bike Shop on O’Connell Avenue in Limerick City. This bike can travel a distance of 60km from a battery charge, he said. “I still use it, it isn’t something that finished when the election was over. It was great value I think”.
A total of €1703.55 was filed by Cllr Begley in his declaration form for advertising. While candidates are to include fees for within sixty days of polling day (June 7th), his included adverts from February and December. “If had a second time round I wouldn’t have spent the money, I was very disappointed with how they presented the stuff but it is water under the bridge now,” he said of some newspaper advertising.
With seven seats on offer in the Shannon Municipal District, Cllr Begley took the sixth seat in what was a nervy two days of tallying for the former Mayor of Clare. His return of 831 first preferences was below that of PJ Ryan (IND) on 831 but it was the transfers from Cllr Rachel Hartigan (FF) and Val Gillane (FG) that served as a savour in keeping his political career alive and seeing Ryan emerge as one of the big casualties in the county.
1991 was Begley’s first election to the County Council when he succeeded on his third attempt. He lost his seat in 2004 but has been returned in the subsequent 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 elections. He became the first Clonlara person to serve as Mayor of Clare and Cathaoirleach of the Shannon Municipal District.
