New Mayor for Mallow

Mallow Town Council elected Fine Gael’s Noel O’Connor as town Mayor last week at its AGM.

Cllr O’Connor outlined his intentions on Monday after taking over from outgoing Mayor Cllr Dan Joe Fitzgerald of Fianna Fáil, emphasising the need to integrate the residents of the town together.

“It is vitally important, as Mallow seeks to establish itself as a dynamic town with a lot to offer its citizens, that we acknowledge difference and diversity within our society,” said the new Mayor.

“In acknowledging this diversity, it is imperative that, as a society we, the people of Mallow, embrace difference. It is my intention, in my year of office, to set out to visibly support those with special needs in Mallow,to support those newcomers to town who despite the colour of their skin or in spite of having a native tongue different from our own, are now very much Mallow/Irish and voting in Irish elections.

"We must visibly support those who have physical disabilities, and to support those who have mental issues perhaps, as a result of coming to terms with the stresses of living in the difficult times we live in or the stresses of bereavement."

Mayor O’Connor, who is also a county councillor for the Mallow electoral area, also stressed the importance of Mallow Castle to the locality, and the need to open it more to the general public.

He suggested the establishment of a New Year’s celebration with the possibility of fireworks included in a family occasion.

Meanwhile Midleton Independent Cllr Ted Murphy was elected as the Mayor of the East Cork town. Cllr Murphy also held the position in 2009 and 2010.