*Cllr Joe Cooney. Photograph: Natasha Barton
O’CALLAGHANS MILLS NATIVE, Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) is set to be elected Clare’s first citizen this Friday.
Joe will succeed fellow East Clare man Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) as Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council at Friday’s AGM which will be held in Áras Contae an Chláir.
Following the 2019 local elections, agreements were reached as part of the power-sharing arrangement in place among the elected members of the County Council whereby it was agreed that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would both have two representatives serving as Mayor and one Independent during the five year term of the Council.
Cllr O’Brien, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) and Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) have all been in the role since this agreement, Cathal Crowe (FF) was the first Mayor following the local election with his ascension to Dáil Éireann seeing Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) fill the remainder of his term.
No opposition is expected to Cooney’s nomination as it would be seen as putting the power-sharing arrangement in jeopardy.
A poll-topper in the Killaloe MD for local elections in 2009, 2014 and 2019, Cllr Cooney also secured the highest vote in the county of all Clare councillors for each of his three runs for public office.
During the current Council term, Cllr Cooney has been Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District, assuming the role in June 2021 for twelve months.
Cooney served as Chairman of Clare GAA from December 2015 to 2020. “I promised to work tirelessly for the greater good of Clare GAA. I can say without fear of contradiction that I have given everything that I had to give regardless of circumstances over those five years for the betterment of Clare GAA,” he stated when his term concluded in December 2020.
Since then, Joe has remained active in the GAA and has been elected Chairman of his local GAA club, O’Callaghans Mills.
