Mulcahy elected Mayor of Shannon

SEÁN McLoughlin’s term as Mayor of Shannon came to an end at Tuesday’s meeting of the town council and he was succeeded by his party colleague Tony Mulcahy, with another Fine Gael man, Michael Fleming, elected deputy mayor.

Stepping down, Councillor McLoughlin said that he has enjoyed his term as mayor and that he is glad to see some important local projects being progressed.
“I have been honoured to serve you and the people of Shannon as mayor. This time 12 months ago, the newly convened council sat down at a special seminar to lay out a five-year roadmap for the development and management of Shannon Town. I am glad to see that many of the objectives we set out on that day are already well on the way to being achieved. Admittedly, while much of our five-year programme remains a work in progress, I am especially delighted to see a solid plan in place to continue the upgrading of riverside walks, the provision of additional bus shelters throughout the town, the reallocation of allotments in the vicinity of Illaunmanagh Cemetery and the continued support of community initiatives. This includes the development of Shannon Leisure Centre, which the town council has supported by way of providing significant funding for the new skateboard park.”
He said that he is glad to see that the leisure centre is almost ready to reopen, while he welcomed improvements made to infrastructure in the town.
Supporting the airport is very important for the town council, he claimed.
“Regarding the Shannon Airport Authority, I would hope that the chairman and his board would continue to consider the opinions of Shannon Town Councillors on how best to develop the airport going forward.
“It is imperative that the board members continue to engage with the council as Shannon Town Councillors, past and present, have contributed greatly to the success of the facility down through the years and therefore deserve to have an input.
“The continued development of Shannon Airport is a primary issue for all of us at Shannon Town Council. However, that does not mean that a lesser emphasis is placed on the day-to-day issues affecting the lives of members of the local community.”
He said he is pleased that the council is supporting community and voluntary groups in Shannon.
“The Community Grants Scheme continues to provide financial support to a wide range of organisations and I am acutely aware of the importance placed on the scheme by the local community. Of course, the Liosta na Laochra awards are also a wonderful way of acknowledging members of the local community who have achieved either national or international recognition in their chosen disciplines. On that note, I would like to pay a special tribute to our Special Olympians who did the town and county proud when they collectively yielded nine medals in just 10 events at the Special Olympics Ireland games two weeks ago.”
He acknowledged the support of the council staff and his family throughout the year.
A number of councillors paid tribute to Councillor McLoughlin and wished Councillor Mulcahy good luck for the coming year.