Boundary redraw puts Kelly out of the picture

THE realignment of the local electoral area boundaries has claimed its first political scalp. Details of the changes to the constituency were announced on Thursday and one councillor has already confirmed he will not run in the 2014 Local Elections.

Speaking to The Clare Champion this week, Councillor Michael Kelly revealed he will retire from politics at the end of this term.

Councillor Kelly represents the North Clare Electoral Area currently an area that has been split under the revision of boundaries. Unfortunately for the Fianna Fáil councillor who lives in Tubber and for Fine Gael Councillor, Joe Arkins in nearby Ruan, the new division separates them from a large chunk of their supporters.

“I had been considering whether I would or would not stand for election in 2014 but when the redrawing of the electoral areas by the boundary commission was published, I didn’t have any options. It would be very difficult to be elected after losing 700 number-one votes from 2009 and also the fact that I would be contesting the election with seven other sitting councillors in a six-seat area in East Clare,” Councillor Kelly said.

According to Councillor Kelly, the division of the electoral area is a “total fiasco” for not just himself but for the people of the constituency. He questioned how the Burren could be split and argued that people in Aughinish at the northern tip of the new Killaloe Electoral Area have little in common with people on the Limerick border.

Councillor Kelly was co-opted to Clare County Council in 1997. He failed in his bid to be elected in 1999, despite getting more than 1,000 votes but was re-elected in 2004 and 2009.
“Regarding my own position, I am very happy with the positions I attained during my time in the council and I had the privilege of heading the poll in North Clare in 2004. I got wonderful support from both inside and outside my parish.

“I intend to work for those people for the duration of the current council term. There is always a time to stand down and I believe now is the right time for me and it also allows the party sufficient time to select prospective candidates for the upcoming council elections,” he remarked.