Cratloeโ€™s Pat Oโ€™Gorman has returned to the role of a County Councillor, sixteen years after losing his seat.

Nominated by members of the Fianna Fรกil Shannon Comhairle Ceanntair on Sunday night, Pat was officially co-opted to fill the seat vacated by newly elected TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) at Mondayโ€™s adjourned meeting of the local authority. Robert Frost, Louise McNamara and Noel Broggy also contested the convention.

His father, Joe was previously co-opted to the local authority in the early 1970s and it is believed they are the first father and to both be co-opted onto Clare County Council. Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) described Joe as โ€œone of the most colourful councillors weโ€™ve hadโ€.

Speaking at Sundayโ€™s selection, the former Mayor of Clare revealed that he withdrew his name from the contest on Thursday morning following a decision from Fianna Fรกil headquarters to select the candidate based on an interview process. โ€œMichael Healy-Rae does to be talking about passing the Red Cow and the rest of the country being forgotten about, thatโ€™s exactly the way I felt and I was prepared to forfeit all this for the grassroots of Fianna Fรกilโ€.

โ€œI was delighted to put my name back in again and I was delighted to go around canvassing Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning asking people for support. It goes to show what canvassing is all about because it all came down to number twos, number threes and number foursโ€. No official vote was given to party members on Sunday but The Clare Echo understands McNamara received the most first preferences with Oโ€™Gorman winning the seat as he received every single transfer from Broggy.

He added, โ€œI want to pledge to everyone here in the Shannon area that I will work 100 percent on your behalf, 100 percent with Cathal Crowe helping me and guiding me now because Iโ€™m so long out of it, the last time I got my first mobile phone, weโ€™re gone from the laptops and everything since. Itโ€™s a coincidence more than anything else, it was 1971 when my father got co-opted to Clare County Council, I think weโ€™re the first father and son to be co-opted to Clare County Council in its historyโ€.

An unsuccessful local election candidate in 2004, 2009 and 2014, Pakie told party members, โ€œI could have ran as an Independent but I didnโ€™t, I stood by Fianna Fรกil like all my family did, thatโ€™s the way I like it, it gives me more pleasure being elected here tonight with this co-option with all members of Fianna Fรกil electing me, that means more to me than anything elseโ€.

Proposing his co-option at Mondayโ€™s meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) believed the returning local representative โ€œoffers much positivityโ€. Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) recalled, โ€œHe comes from a long tradition of politics, his father was a colourful councillor and we had many a colourful debate when Pat was here beforeโ€.

Support for his return was voiced by Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND), Cllr John Crowe (FG) and Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF). Cllr PJ Ryan admitted that his hair โ€œwas a different colourโ€ when he canvassed for Joe Oโ€™Gorman while Cllr Pat Daly (FF) suggested Oโ€™Gorman could take up the singing void left by James Breen.

โ€œMy wife was a next-door neighbour to Pakie, after I brought her to Oโ€™Callaghans Mills, Pakieโ€™s brother Joe followed us to the Millsโ€ Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) quipped. โ€œMy brother might have followed Joe to Oโ€™Callaghans Mills but he is still a Fianna Fรกil man,โ€ Oโ€™Gorman responded.

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