Tipperary councillor became a dad and Carrick-on-Suir MD Cathaoirleach last week

Fine Gael Cllr Mark Fitzgerald was not only elected Cathaoirleach of Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District last week but also celebrated the birth of his first child.

It was certainly a memorable week for the 33-year-old second term councillor from Cloneen.

He was elected unopposed as Cathaoirleach of Carrick MD at the district’s annual meeting in Carrick-on-Suir Town Hall on Monday, June 24. Just two days later he and his partner Eimear welcomed their baby daughter Nora Mae into the world.

Cllr Fitzgerald said he was honoured to be elected Cathaoirleach of the district and paid tribute to his fellow councillors and Carrick MD staff for facilitating his attendance at the AGM via Zoom rather than in person due to the imminent birth of his daughter.

He takes over the office from Carrick-on-Suir Fianna Fáil Cllr Kieran Bourke and will be presented with the office’s chain of office at the district’s next monthly meeting on July 26.

This is Cllr Fitzgerald’s second term serving as Carrick Municipal District’s Cathaoirleach. He previously held the office between June 2021 and June 2022.

During the last five year council term, Carrick MD’s five councillors had an agreement that each of them would serve one year as cathaoirleach.

It’s understood that no such formal agreement is at this time in place among the district’s councillors in relation to the annual election of the cathaoirleach.

Cllr Fitzgerald was proposed for the office of Cathaoirleach by the district’s poll topper Cllr Imelda Goldsboro of Fianna Fáil and Ballingarry, who was elected as Leas-Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council a few days earlier. He was seconded by Cllr Bourke.

Cllr Goldsboro, meanwhile, was elected unopposed as Leas-Cathaoirleach of Carrick MD at the AGM after being proposed by Cllr Bourke and seconded by Cllr Fitzgerald.

Cllr Fitzgerald told The Nationalist his top priority during his term as district chairman will be to continue the previous elected council’s work of delivering improvements to council services and infrastructure throughout Carrick MD.

He said Carrick MD’s five councillors were the envy of public representatives in other districts in the county during the council’s last five year term because they “didn’t bicker and left politics outside the door”. This made a lot of difference in terms of the amount of work they achieved, he argued.

“For the next year, I plan to keep that going; that will be my priority to keep the relationship we have and build it stronger because if we are working well together, Carrick Municipal District is doing better.”

Cllr Fitzgerald welcomed the district’s first time councillor Michael 'Chicken' Brennan of Labour at the AGM.

He and other councillors paid tribute to Independent Kevin O’Meara from Mullinahone who lost his seat in last month’s election.

Cllr Fitzgerald praised Mr O’Meara’s “common sense and logical approach to politics”, his hard work on behalf of constituents and spoke of how he valued his advice and knowledge as a colleague. He wished him and his family well going forward.

Tributes were also paid at the AGM by Cllr Fitzgerald, his fellow councillors and Director of Services Anthony Coleman to District Administrator Marie O’Gorman, who was attending the last council meeting of her 43 year long career in local government. They all joined in wishing her well on her retirement.

Cllr Kieran Bourke said Ms O’Gorman had been an excellent District Administrator who always made herself available to councillors.

Ms O’Gorman retired last Friday and her successor Marie Cox will take up her new post as District Administrator of Carrick MD in August.