Tag Archives: Bill Chambers

COORACLARE county councillor Bill Chambers (Fianna Fáil) has been elected cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, succeeding Councillor James Breen (Independent) in the role. Councillor Chambers is the first person from Cooraclare to assume the chairmanship of the 28-member council which unanimously backed his appointment at its AGM in Áras Contae an Chláir on Monday. Councillor Paul Murphy (Fine Gael) from Clarecastle was elected leas cathaoirleach, replacing his party colleague Councillor Mary Howard in the position. “The role of cathaoirleach is one that goes back many decades and it is an honour for me to follow in the footsteps of so many great servants of this county. I will work hard during the next 12 months to promote Clare through leadership and partnership in my new role as Clare’s first citizen,” Councillor Chambers said in his maiden speech.

THE West Clare Municipal Authority is to meet with Kilrush Chamber of Commerce because the town “needs to be pushed on” according to a local representative. Councillor Bill Chambers requested that a meeting be set up with the chamber and “any other interested parties, with the view of promoting Kilrush as an industrial, commercial and tourism centre”. At the recent West Clare Area meeting, Councillor Chambers claimed, “This was a very active town until 30 years ago. There was lots of employment….it is backwards we have gone.” The Fianna Fáil councillor said he believed the town was missing out on tourism business, particularly from the Killimer ferry, because of the lack of a hotel in the town. “This town badly needs a lift and, if Kilrush is going well, then the whole area is going well,” he said. Responding to the councillor’s request, meetings administrator in the municipal district, John Corry said he would arrange the meeting, if councillors agreed. …

Lissycasey county councillor PJ Kelly (FF) won his eighth successive election to Clare County Council when he was elected on the eleventh count. “It was good I got elected. I’m delighted. It was awful cheeky to go for eight in a row but I made it. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this. If we were to have predicted who would win or lose, the bookies would have been in for a good day,” he said of a day of twists and turns in the west Clare race. Meanwhile Bill Chambers (FF) was equally relived to have pulled through at the same stage of the day long count. “It feels great and I’m delighted with the result but I’m really sorry too that we’ve lost two marvellous colleagues in Oliver Garry and Patrick Keane. Two thorough gentleman,” he commented. He described the new west Clare constituency as a challenging one geographically. “It has proved we were …