Sheila Buckley Byrne is elected Mayor of Athlone

The new Mayor of Athlone town described her election to the position as an "honour" at the Athlone Town Council AGM on Monday night. Independent councillor Sheila Buckley Byrne was elected unopposed after colleagues Cllr Jim Henson (Lab) nominated her and Cllr Gabrielle McFadden (FG) seconded the motion. Cllr Kieran Molloy, speaking on behalf of the Fianna Fáil members, said they would not be opposing the motion "for a number of reasons", not just because they wouldn't have a majority if they nominated an alternative. Cllr Buckley Byrne said that becoming Mayor was an honour for her and an opportunity for her to work with the many clubs, organisations and those in the community who give their time and energy to others in the town. "I'm very much inspired by their dedication and especially in these challenging times, they are even more important. Every person has so much to give," she said. "I really believe we can make a difference." She said that in her forthcoming year as Mayor, there are so many projects which will add to and strengthen Athlone, such as the Willow Park regeneration, the upcoming Euro Festival, the Athlone Castle project. She thanked her employer Rehab for supporting her in her first year as councillor, and gave a special and heartfelt thank you to her dad Con, husband Rory, and children Aiden, Seamus and Niamh. "This is a great town and I hope to add to its greatness over the year," she said. Cllr Kieran Molloy wished Cllr Buckley Byrne well, and said that in 23 years as a councillor it was his first time to see a female chair. Outgoing Mayor Mark Cooney offered his full support and said that a female Mayor would offer an interesting perspective. Cllr Paul Hogan said he was delighted to see Athlone's first female Mayor. "I hope you set a precedent for others in years to come," he added. Cllr Kevin 'Boxer' Moran also offered his congratulations and said she'd do a wonderful job. "I'm delighted to see a lady in the chair and maybe you could use the whip on the two fellas beside you to get a bit of money for Athlone," he said referring to Town Clerk John Walsh and County Manager Danny McLoughlin. "It's a great occasion for you and your family," said Cllr Aengus O'Rourke (FF). "Arcadia has served the town so well, providing two female chairpersons, there might not have been a female Mayor but there was a female chair before (Mary O'Rourke). Maybe there will be a male (from Arcadia) in the future. The fact that you were once a member of Fianna Fáil will provide some comfort to us this evening." Cllr Buckley Byrne quickly pointed out that she had tried that and it didn't work. County Manager Danny McLoughlin also added his congratulations. It was also a special night for another councillor celebrating his first year in office, as Fine Gael's Alan Shaw was elected Deputy Mayor, which was also unopposed. He said it was a proud occasion for him personally. Cllr Moran suggested that the council organise a second chain for the deputy mayor, to save time running and racing to get the chain from one person to another. In his outgoing speech, Cllr Mark Cooney said he was privileged to have served in the office of Mayor for the past year. "It was a demanding role with many responsibilities, but it was a great honour. And like anyone, there was a number of highs and lows." He singled out the floods of November and December which "tragically befell the townspeople", as well as the HSE decision to close Loughloe House as the main lows, even though they were out of the council's remit. He said the high points included the pleasure in hosting receptions for businesses and groups who came to Athlone and said it was nice to finish on the high of triAthlone. He said that after the local elections and with five new council members, they got down to work quickly and he thanked council staff for all their work, especially Town Clerk John Walsh for his "years of experience and wisdom". Cllr Kieran Molloy said Cllr Cooney did a "very, very good job" and wished him well in the years ahead. Cllr Paul Hogan said he had a long apprenticeship of 14 years as a councillor which was very good training. "I think you were a true ambassador of the town," he added. Cllr O'Rourke said he was a "solid, fair and very measured mayor". Cllr McFadden said he carried out his duties in a "very professional and efficient way" and was a great ambassador for the town. Cllr Moran also congratulated Cllr Cooney on his time as mayor and said it's hard to spend all that time away from family life. Cllr Buckley Byrne said that Cllr Cooney was a great mentor for her as Deputy Mayor. Cllr Henson thanked him for his courtesy and professional way of dealing with the councillors while Cllr Shaw said he was "fair and decisive".