Shane Curran, who had an eventful year.

2016: The Year in Quotes

TEAM FF


“I am a Gaelic player and a team player all my life and I believe in working for the team. That team is now Fianna Fáil,”
- Shane Curran launching his unsuccessful bid to win a Dáil seat in the Roscommon-Galway constituency.


NO SURPRISES


“Paddy Kilduff isn’t surprised at anything Fianna Fáil headquarters would do,”
- Fianna Fáil councillor Paddy Kilduff on his party’s decision to add Shane Curran to the ticket at a late stage in the election campaign.

 

GLAD I'M WRONG


“What the efforts of recent weeks have shown is that property in Athlone can be defended from flooding. I will admit I had my doubts. I didn't think it could be done if the water reached the same level as in 2009, but I'm delighted to have been proven wrong,”
- Westmeath council official Barry Kehoe speaking in January about the flood prevention work done by local volunteers, council staff and other agencies last winter.


BOUNDARY UPROAR


“Why does Athlone want Monksland? Look at Athlone, it’s flooded. It’s a kip of a town. It’s the only town that you can’t actually go into it and park.”
- Kevin Galvin of Taughmaconnell at a highly-charged public meeting in Monksland to discuss the possible extension of the Westmeath county boundary into parts of South Roscommon.


PROVINCIAL PRIDE


“I’d rather be an English man than a Leinster man,”
- Sean Morrison of Kiltoom speaking at the same meeting in January.

 

 

 

DYNAMIC BOXER


“I think he’s phenomenal. He’s a dynamo, he’s unique.”
- Shane Ross on his Independent Alliance colleague, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, following Boxer’s election as a TD in February.

 

'LAZARUS' PENROSE


“One should never say you’re dead until you have the stake through your heart!”
- A jubilant Willie Penrose, who conceded defeat in the general election before ultimately retaining his Dáil seat by a narrow margin.

 

‘CRAZY IDEA’


“An airport in the Midlands, whether it’s Abbeyshrule or some crazy site down in Tubber… it will never get off the ground. It’s called the ‘midland airport development’ – ‘MAD’ – for a reason,”
- Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary on plans to develop an international airport in Tubber.

 

** For more, check out this week's Westmeath Independent, out now.

 

WISHING ALL OUR READERS A HAPPY NEW YEAR!