Two years on from his election to Clare County Council, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) has been elected Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District.
Kilkee’s Murphy will succeed Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) in the role, he was unanimously backed by fellow councillors at Wednesday’s AGM.
In his address, Cillian spoke of the learning experience he has had since becoming an elected representative. “Two years ago I sat here as a newly elected councillor and to be honest, I hadn’t a clue what I was at. I have always learned by doing and these past two years have been a great education. I have learned a lot about my county, the people in it and how hard it is to keep all the balls in the air to ensure the whole place runs well”.
He commended his predecessor and thanked all fellow elected members and local authority staff and gave a special mentor to retired councillor Pat Keane (FF) who has been “a great mentor”. “The county is at a critical juncture in preparation of the County Development Plan. “We are in hugely changing times, but great change brings great opportunity, Covid has brought a stark realisation to many, many people that quality of life, time with family and friends, and the space to enjoy it all are more important then they were ever, the remote work revolution has decoupled work from place of work”. Housing will continue to be a priority for all discussions, the tourism consultant stated.
“There is no doubt for any of us, without the understanding of our families we probably wouldn’t be able to function properly, I know this to be spectacularly true in my own case. So I’d like to take the opportunity to thank my wife Mary for her patience and her wisdom in helping me every day to make the right decisions, for talking me down from the ceiling when I get a bit excited about things and for always making sure I keep my eye on the end goal, and not worrying about losing a battle as long as we win the war”.
