YOUGHAL TOWN COUNCILLOR BARBARA MURRAY is tipped to become only the second ever female County  Mayor of Cork. Cllr Murray is the only Fine Gael candidate in Cork County Council to officially declare an interest in the role. And as the largest party on the 48-seat county council, Fine Gael will almost certainly retain the mayoralty that it has held every year since 2003.

Unless another Fine Gael councillor declares an interest before this Friday’s deadline for seeking the nomination, Cllr Murray will almost certainly take over the chain of office from current County Mayor, Tim Lombard.
There are 22 Fine Gael councillors, 12 Fianna Fáil, seven Labour, one Sinn Féin and six Independents on the council.
Fianna Fáil would need to form an unlikely alliance with Labour — the Government coalition partner of Fine Gael — to have any chance of upsetting the balance of power. Cllr Murray said: “I have put my name forward for the position. I believe I am at the right stage of my life to do the job and to give it my all. My children are all grown up so I have the time that the job requires.

Monday, May 07, 2012

Info: www.eveningecho.ie