*Cllr Joe Killeen (FF). Photograph: Eamon Ward.
COROFIN native Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) will be elected as Clare’s first citizen this Friday marking the high point of his political career.
First elected to the local authority in 2019, Joe is to be elected as Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council this Friday succeeding Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) in what will be a proud day for the North Clare man and his family.
Indeed the Killeen clan are used to big occasions in politics. Joe follows in footsteps of his first-cousin Tony who was elected Mayor of Clare in 1989 and described it as a big breakthrough in his political career which included serving as a Clare TD from 1992 to 2011, four Junior Ministries and acting as Minister for Defence.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Joe said, “it will be the highlight of my political career to become the Mayor of Clare”. He stated, “My priorities are increasing housing supply in Clare, improving the road infrastructure in the county and to help promote tourism in the county”.
Áras Contae an Chláir’s public gallery will welcome a large crowd from Corofin and Kilnaboy for Friday’s AGM along with Joe’s family, friends plus his supporters from within and outside of Fianna Fáil. His wife Marian will be in attendance along with their two sons Justin and Senan while Rory will be in Portugal. They will be joined by Senan’s wife Sheena and Joe’s grand-children Turlough and Toirin plus Justin’s partner Aoife Masterson.
Despite only beginning his campaign a month before the 2019 local election, Joe polled the second highest preference vote (1,196) in the Ennistymon local electoral area and took the second seat with North Clare electing four first-time representatives in the guise of Killeen, Cllr Shane Talty (FF), Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) and Roisin Garvey (GP). He served as Leas Cathaoirleach of the Council during his first term.
Five years on, Joe retained his seat with a growth in first preference votes to 1,794 but this time it was the last of the spots in the four-seat constituency that he claimed.
During his time on the local authority, Joe has been vocal in raising concerns on planning restrictions across the county which has stifled the growth of housing and communities, he has frequently sought improvements on national secondary routes in the county along with bringing matters from the farming and forestry sector to the attention of the Council Executive.
A part-time farmer, Joe was principal of Lough Cutra NS in Gort for over three decades. He began his teaching career at Kiltrusten NS, Strokestown, Co Roscommon.
In 2018, Joe was appointed President of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) which represents over 44,000 teachers. He became INTO Gort Branch Secretary in 1987. In 2008 he was elected to the Central Executive Committee of the union to represent Galway and Roscommon (INTO District 6). As an INTO Executive member Joe represented District 6 on the Small Schools Task Force set up in 2012 to advise the Central Executive Committee on opposing proposals by the Department of Education and Skills to close small schools.
Becoming Mayor will be “an entirely different challenge to the INTO,” Cllr Killeen outlined. “The Council is so broad, there’s so many facets to it, there’s a responsibility to represent the county but to also bring about improvements too and use whatever avenues politically and socially to try bring about improvements for the lives of the people of the county. I look forward to having the support of all councillors and Oireachtas members. We all work collaboratively in the Council for the betterment of the county”.
Serving as Leas Cathaoirleach of the Council for the coming twelve months will be Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG).
Municipal District AGMs are taking place across the county this week. Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) on Wednesday was elected Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe MD for the second time in four years. Cllr Michael Begley (IND) in 2022 became the first Clonlara representative elected as Cathaoirleach of the Shannon MD and he was returned to the Chair on Wednesday evening for the second time.
In his first term as a county councillor, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) will on Thursday become the Mayor of the Ennis MD. It will be the first time that a Sinn Féin representative is elected Mayor of the Ennis MD.
Also taking the Chair in his first term on the local authority will be Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) who is set to be elected Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD on Friday.
