Sitting councillor overwhelmed by poll-topping performance in Tipperary

For Cllr Máirín McGrath, this was an incredible showing in the Local Elections as she surged to the top of the poll in the Cahir Electoral Area.
She amassed a huge vote of 2,079 first preference votes, an increase from her 1,226 first preference votes in 2019 when she was elected to Tipperary County Council for the first time.

That massive increase saw the Newcastle-based candidate overtake Cllr Andy Moloney, who topped the poll in 2019 and was expected to do so again.

It was a significant victory that demonstrated the strength of the McGrath electoral machine.
“I am absolutely thrilled, it is overwhelming, to be honest,” said Cllr McGrath.
“I campaigned so hard, to come up so much on my 2019 vote is unbelievable.
“It is a testament to the work I have done for the last five years,” said Cllr McGrath.

Cllr McGrath felt that young people were happy to see somebody of their own being elected to represent them.
“I think they feel it is refreshing to have a young person elected.
“I am getting support from my generation because they feel they need somebody to represent them. Young people cannot get on the housing ladder, young people are emigrating, they recognise the need for somebody to represent them.
“They want somebody to speak up for this generation,” she said.
Cllr McGrath attributed her vote to the hard work she has put in over the last five years in the community.
She strongly believes that Irish Water should never have been set up and the people of Cahir were very frustrated with the service provided by Irish Water.

“During the week we had 12,000 people without water in Ardfinnan. We had problems out in Glengarra, south Tipperary is not being served well by Irish Water. There is no accountability, it is so frustrating for everybody,” said Cllr McGrath.
Over the next five years, Cllr McGrath wants to see progress on affordable housing being provided in Cahir.
“It is unfair that Cahir has still not secured an affordable housing scheme. Every town and village needs an affordable housing scheme. The towns considered key towns such as Nenagh, Clonmel, and Thurles were approved for inclusion in the affordable housing scheme and Cahir should be in the next list of towns designated for the scheme,” insisted Cllr McGrath.
“We need to do more for young people, it is not fair on them that they have to emigrate and they don’t know when or if they will be back,” she said.

Cllr McGrath said she was very proud of the fact that Cahir was a town that was leading by example on inclusion with the 28% of non-Irish nationals being so much part of the community.
“Cahir is an example of how communities can embrace integration of non nationals. In Cahir non-nationals are working and they are involved in community activities, they feel part of the fabric of the town and they are recognised as being part of the community,” said Cllr McGrath.

She also informed The Nationalist that she has been declared as first substitute for European candidate Michael McNamara.
The Independent TD for Clare who is going for a seat in the European elections was a regular visitor to south Tipperary over the last few weeks and is close to the McGrath camp.
HONOURED
If Michael McNamara is elected to the European Parliament Cllr McGrath will be his first declared sub in the event he would have to vacate that seat. “I am honoured to be asked because it is a recognition of my role as a public representative,” said Cllr McGrath.
“We need strong local and European representation and that is why I was confident in supporting his bid for a seat in Europe,” said Cllr McGrath.