“I wasn’t expecting to be nominated.”
That’s according to Ferrybank’s new Fine Gael local election candidate, Damien Donoghue.
He told KCLR that he has been a long-time advocate for community improvement and he’s worked in hospitality and security for over twenty years while he’s currently involved in Special Needs Assistant studies.
His focus areas will be flooding issues, the quality of water, and the neglect of basic maintenance, such as the cutting of grass while he’s also pushing for a leisure centre with a swimming pool in Ferrybank.
Mr Donoghue told KCLR News; “I wasn’t expecting to be nominated, I’ve been a member of Fine Gael for a long time and I’ve been living in Ferrybank for the last eight years and I’ve been very vocal about things, Fine Gael have seen that and they’ve asked me to go forward and to represent the people of Ferrybank and Slieverue area so I’m delighted to do that”.
One of the main talking points for those in local politics has been the €2,500 allowance for home security which the election hopeful says he wouldn’t be availing of if elected.
He says he feels safe in his area at the moment but that he is aware of online abuse against local and national representatives, noting; “We all have families, I have a young family, and I wouldn’t like to see these comments or get anything happen to me but so personally for myself no but if somebody was disappointed I wouldn’t say anything against them, that’s their business, if that’s what they feel they need to have well then that’s their business”.
Also selected for the party for the Piltown Municipal District are sitting councillors Fidelis Doherty and Pat Dunphy.