*Cllr Mark Nestor (FF). Photograph: Eamon Ward
CLARE’S YOUNGEST councillor is to leave his role as an elected representative to join the priesthood.
Cllr Mark Nestor (FF) is to resign from his role as a county councillor at Monday’s meeting of the local authority ahead of a move to the seminary and a new career path. He will also be leaving his post as a Development Officer with An Clár as Gaeilge
Nestor has informed family, friends and political advisors of his decision prior to the summer with the thirty year old to depart the county in the coming weeks.
Ennis native Mark has declined to comment publicly on the matter when questioned by The Clare Echo but news of his move to the priesthood has been confirmed by senior officials within Fianna Fáil and elected members of the party.
He had been expected to become Mayor of Ennis at the Annual General Meeting of the Ennis Municipal District but opted not to take on the mayoral chain ahead of his departure.
In March 2019, Fianna Fáil added Nestor to their ticket for the local elections in the Ennis Municipal District where he joined Cllr Pat Daly (FF) and Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF). He had been actively involved in the party prior to this and had canvassed for Fianna Fáil in every election since turning eighteen, he was the first member of his family to be associated with The Soldiers of Destiny.
His performance was one of the standout moments of the 2019 local elections. The Cloughleigh man in his first election amassed 1,211 first preference votes (10.59%) and was the third candidate elected behind Cllr Mary Howard (FG) and Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG). He secured bigger tallies than Cllr Colleran Molloy, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG), Cllr Ann Norton (IND) and Cllr Daly, all of whom were returned to their roles.
On his reasons for entering politics, Cllr Nestor told The Clare Echo, “Politics is not an easy game but helping people is something I like to do, I’m very much involved with a lot of organisations and I feel the next step is trying to help people is to engage with the political system”. Speaking after his election, he listed education, business, the Irish language and mental health as the four main pillars he hoped to progress as a county councillor.
Following on from his election, Mark took over the mantle from Cathal Crowe (FF) as the county’s youngest councillor. His departure means that Cllr Liam Grant (GP) aged 31 is now the youngest elected member of Clare County Council, the nearest in age to him is Cllr Shane Talty (FF) aged 39.
Within a year of joining the Council, Nestor was elected Deputy Mayor of the Ennis MD prompting Colleran Molloy to comment, “He is a fine person, I’ve watched you go from being a party colleague through the ranks and pass all the tests to get on the ballot paper, it is a testament to your personality. To be Deputy Mayor within a year of election is very impressive. You have the best intentions and you will do a great job”.
Cllr Howard said at the time “we got a bit of a land when you did so well” in the election while Cllr Flynn predicted “a great future” for Nestor in politics, “He has shown his ability to raise issues that are close to people’s heart, his business and education background is very helpful”. “To have been given the honour of being Deputy Mayor of the town I was born and reared in is huge,” Nestor said of the role.
During his three year term on the local authority, different items raised by Cllr Nestor included his call for the introduction of bi-lingual packaging on all consumer products for sale in Ireland, a review and update of the Council’s Irish Language Plan.
Business and support for businesses was highlighted by Cllr Nestor who believed vacant sites in the Buttermarket area had the ability to transform the area, similarly he brought vacant properties in Claureen into the spotlight. He was among seven councillors seeking a freeze of commercial rates during the pandemic while he was against the removal of Bank Place parking spaces for pedestrianisation in the town of Ennis.
Removal of spaces was recommended by the Ennis Mobility Plan Taskforce which has since been scrapped, Nestor was vocal in his criticism of the group deciding on big issues for the town when it was comprised of non-elected individuals, “I might as well have sat at home last May instead of contesting the local elections. If it continues, every Ennis councillor should be on it,” he previously stated.
During the pandemic, he also called for health officials to find ways to assist the elderly in downloading the COVID-19 tracker app. He was vocal on matters relating to Drumcliffe, traffic calming and lighting in parts of the town while requesting improved walking routes between the Gort Rd and Tulla. Mark also proposed lower rental costs be introduced at Lees Rd to assist sports clubs.
