NAAS, 26 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Councillor Timmy Conway has been elected as the first full-term ‘mayor’ of Naas. He is pictured above, (second from left), celebrating after his election with members of his family David, Maureen, Deirdre and his wife Kate.
The title ‘mayor’ only came into existence this year, and replaces the ‘chairman’ in local authorities in some 50 percent of those which have adopted the new description for their chair since January 1.
Cllr Conway was previously chairman of Naas’s council in 1991 and 1995.
He was elected by a majority of five votes to four. Those who supported him were Cllrs Willie Callaghan (FF), Eibhlin Bracken (I), Seamie Moore (I), Pat O’Reilly (FG) and Timmy Conway (PD) himself.
Those who supported the alternative proposal for the chair of Anthony Egan were Mary Glennon (I), Pat McCarthy (L), Charlie Byrne (FF) and Cllr Egan (I) himself.
Cllr Eibhlin Bracken was elected deputy mayor in a similar support breakdown.
For the benefit of those who watch KNN from abroad (more than we had realised until recently), FF = Fianna Fail; FG = Fine Gael; PD = Progressive Democrats; L = Labour; and I = Independent.
Following the recent national elections, FF and PD have formed a coalition government with a comfortable majority. Naturally, not everybody is happy.
