Ger Deere surmounts cancer to become chair of Mayo municipal district

Councillor Ger Deere has been elected cathaoirleach of Castlebar Municipal District, returning to the role he last held in 2011.

The Fine Gael representative was proposed by his party colleague, Councillor Donna Sheridan, and seconded by Councillor Cyril Burke at the annual general meeting.

Proposing him, Councillor Sheridan said it gave her great pleasure to put forward her colleague and friend.

She noted Councillor Deere was first elected to the council in 2009, during which time he held the position of Mayor in 2010 and 2011.

She said titles and positions only told part of his story, pointing to his passionate commitment to the town and the countless voluntary hours he has given to it, including his work with Tidy Towns.

Outside the council chamber, Councillor Deere works as a special needs assistant at Snugboro National School.

Councillor Sheridan said the past year had not been easy for Ger or those close to him, but that she was delighted, like so many others, to see him cutting the ribbon at the Relay for Life.

She paid tribute to his wife, Pauline, telling him he was truly blessed to have her by his side, and acknowledged that he had also lost his beloved sister some time ago.

Councillor said she sincerely hoped this marked the beginning of a new chapter for him, adding that he was a proud son of Castlebar who cared deeply for and was respected across the community, and that she knew he would wear the chain with the same pride and humility he had shown throughout his time on the Municipal District.

Seconding the nomination, Councillor Burke said his connection with Councillor Deere went back long before either of them were involved in politics, to a time when he worked with Councillor Deere's mother, and that this was where the basics of civic pride had come from.

He said there was no group to emerge from Castlebar that Councillor Deere had not given a helping hand to in some way, pointing to his work with Tidy Towns as evidence of that civic involvement.

Councillor Burke noted that Councillor Deere had joined the council in 2011 before moving on to the county council, and said the vote he received at the last election was a reflection of the work he had put in.

He commended Councillor Deere on taking on the past year's challenges head-on and coming out the far side, and wished him many happy and healthy times ahead.

In his maiden speech as chair of the municipal district, Councillor Deere spoke about his cancer diagnosis last February, saying he did not know at the time whether he would be around to take on this role before successfully coming through six-weeks of treatment at Cancer Care West, Galway.

He thanked people across Castlebar and from all political persuasions for their support during that journey.

He thanked outgoing cathaoirleach Councillor Al McDonnell for his fairness and balance over the past year.

Turning to his priorities for the town, Councillor Deere said that while there was often a poor public impression of politicians, his colleagues on the municipal district worked well together for Castlebar.

He said his ambition was to make Castlebar an even greater town, and pointed to housing and dereliction as key challenges, calling for progress on affordable housing and sites.

He also raised concerns about traffic in the town, describing Gallows Hill as "a nightmare," given plans for between 200 and 300 additional houses in the area, and said the same was true of the Newport Road.

He said bold decisions would have to be made in consultation with engineers to address the issue, describing it as owed to the future progress of the town.

Councillor Deere described Lough Lannagh as "a jewel in the crown" and said he wanted to see the Greenway extended there, an idea first mooted a couple of years ago.

Citing the growing popularity of outdoor swimming and the new shower facilities due at the lake shortly, he said the council should examine the potential for an anchor tenant such as an aqua park, which he said would be ideal for tourism.

He also pointed to the potential to expand Lough Lannagh Holiday Village's campervan and caravan facilities, saying a well-run facility of that kind brought revenue into the town from visitors spending money there, citing Graiguenamanagh's mobile home park as a model.

He said the municipal district also had an onus to make progress on the long-discussed Peace Park before the end of its term.

Councillor Deere said litter and illegal dumping were destroying the town, highlighting Market Square in particular, where bins are within easy reach of the public, and said there was no excuse for it, adding that CCTV would help identify those responsible.

Councillor Deere said he would continue working with the various sporting and voluntary groups across the town, name-checking projects including the dog park, the skate park, and the Order of Malta.

He spoke of his long-standing involvement with the old post office building, which is set to open in the coming months, noting he had served on the relevant committee for 38 years and was now its last surviving member, and paid tribute to Paddy McGuinness and the work of Castlebar Community Development Association in developing that project.

He said he was hopeful of some good news on the project, which he said would benefit young people in the town. He also said he hoped to see movement soon on Ellison Street, a project he said he had been raising for years.

The newly minted Cathaoirleach also added how he is keen to support community groups right across the municipal district and plans to meet with representatives of community councils, development companies and tidy towns groups to boost all the rural villages and towns he will serve as chair of throughout the year.

Councillor Donna Sheridan proposed Cllr Cyril Burke as leas chathaoirleach, describing him as "a great wingman, tackler and footballer."

Councillor Burke's nomination was seconded by Councillor Deere.

* Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.