"People rose to pandemic challenge" says Fallon on departure as Ros' council chair

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Those famous words from Charles Dickens' 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, were quoted by Cllr Laurence Fallon this week as he looked back on the last twelve months in which he served as Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council

The Knockcroghery man's term came to an end on Monday, and Strokestown councillor Joe Murphy was chosen to succeed him as chairperson at the council's AGM.

The selection of Cllr Murphy created a small piece of local government history in the county, as he and his brother, Senator Eugene Muphy, became the first set of brothers to have both served as first citizen of Roscommon.

Looking back over his year as Cathaoirleach, Cllr Fallon recalled that when he took on the position in June of 2020 he had expressed the hope that Roscommon was emerging from the pandemic and starting to get back to normal.

"Now, the new Cathaoirleach can probably say the same. So, in that sense, we have suffered a lot in the last year," he commented.

Despite the damaging health and economic impacts of Covid-19, he said there were positives that could be taken from it in terms of how people responded.

"The county rose to the challenge and made the best of the situation we were in," he said.

Cllr Murphy, who was co-opted onto the council after his brother Eugene was elected to the Dáil in 2016, and was subsequently elected in his own right at the 2019 local elections, was nominated for the Cathaoirleach's position by Cllr John Cummins.

Some family members of Cllr Murphy were present in the Roscommon council chamber for the occasion, including his mother.

Councillor Orla Leyden was elected as Leas Cathaoirleach.