*Bill Slattery celebrates. Photograph: Joe Buckley.
“IT FEELS great to be back!”
These were Bill Slattery’s first words to local media in an interview with The Clare Echo after he romped home first with 2,224 first preference votes.
Slattery (FG), who was the only sitting councillor in Clare to lose his seat five years ago, said minutes after being hoisted in the air, “I was in a bad place five years ago after my defeat and it was either ‘keep going’ or give it up and I started working then straight away”.
He continued, “I had a set-back getting prostate cancer after my defeat and maybe I was a bit dejected at the time but I stayed positive, and by staying positive it has helped me to go back working for the people which I have been doing with the last five years since 2019 and thank God, they have come out in abundance to support me and reward me for the work I had done the previous nine years.”
Reflecting on his overwhelming success this evening, Lahinch man Slattery admitted, “I never expected to get that vote and I really appreciate the people who came out and voted for me in this election. As I said, last time I was first out, this time I was first in and it’s a way different feeling.”
Slattery, in thanking his wife and family, quipped, “They often say women have moodswings but so do men and I’ll tell you, I had a lot of them and fair dues to them, they supported me all the way.” He also thanked his canvassers. “I’m 70 years of age, I’m no social media guru so I did it the old fashioned way, banging on doors. They say we have a TikTok Taoiseach, but I guarantee you I was up against some TikTok candidates in this election.
“It was a long three months, I don’t know where I got the energy.”
