Local Elections candidate in Tipperary wants return to ‘sensible politics for ordinary rural people’

Ballylooby resident Tom Hennessy threw his hat in the ring for a seat in the upcoming local elections in the Cahir area when he launched his campaign in the Abbey Tavern in Cahir, among an attendance of over 100 supporters and well-wishers.

An ardent lover of all things Gaelic, Tom made the decision to run after listening to people within his community, who increasingly felt that the main political parties have become detached from ordinary people and are neither listening to them any more or speaking on their behalf, and he says that needs to change.

A married father of four, Tom is currently self-employed as a dental technician. He is very strong on the idea of supporting small and medium-sized businesses, and is rooted from his family in a farming background. He started his first business when he was just 19 years of age and has been self-employed most of his life, so he says he truly understands the complexities of business, and feels he can bring that to council should he be elected.

Just as importantly, Tom believes that it is only right that people give back to their local communities. As well as getting involved in various local campaigns in his area, he has also coached at different levels in his local GAA club, something from which he says he gets great pleasure.

He is also very involved in the local Republican commemoration scene, organising many well-attended commemorations all over Tipperary. He is passionate about Irish history and the need to keep alive the history and memory of the Irish patriot dead.

Tom was very much to the forefront in recent years at the beef protests in Cahir, where he stood with the local farming community to ensure that farmers got a better deal and a better price for their goods, and says he is proud of that work.

He has also been central to the Save Sean’s Cabin protests, standing alongside New Inn man Sean Meehan, who was facing jail for building a home for himself in opposition to planning regulations and Tipperary County Council.

Tom feels that it is his duty to stand up for “the ordinary rural people” as well as those in larger urban centres, and says that rural community is the backbone of Irish life.

Tom has a number of other priorities should he be elected in June. He has long been a critic of the Government’s current policy on immigration and has called for a pause in the numbers of people entering the country, either on refugee or asylum status.

“The lack of housing and public services currently, and the lack of a serious plan by Government to provide these services, is causing conflict in many towns and villages, and this can be overcome with a more sensible immigration policy,” he says.

He also has a priority of a more personal nature that he wants to see highlighted, and that is the provision of more services to people with special needs and their families. As a parent of a child with special needs, he says no one understands more he what the lack of services and the delay in providing services can do for a child with those needs and their family. He says he will fight vociferously for increased funding for extra respite services and the development of independent living accommodation.

All of these issues were central to Tom’s message when he addressed his supporters in the Abbey Tavern, and he was satisfied that that message was received warmly. Surrounded by his family and friends, entertainment was provided by Rebel Hearts musician Paudie Coen and Golden musician William Boles. Nessa Coen, the 10-year-old daughter of Paudie, gave a rousing rendition of a number of Irish songs.

On the night, Tom was also joined by Liam Browne, a former neighbour of Tom’s from Rosegreen, near where Tom grew up at Racecourse Cross, and who will also stand in the upcoming elections as an Independent candidate; and Tom’s good friend and comrade Alison Hunt.

Tom says there is an appetite for change on the political scene and a return to common sense and sensible politics rooted in the local communities from which councillors are elected.