This article is from page 34 of the 2006-07-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 34 JPG
CLARE’S newly elected mayor, Flan Garvey, may have been the first member of his family to join Fianna Fáil but he was never in doubt as to the political allegiance of his parents.
Inside the cover of his mother’s prayer book was the signature of her hero – Eamon deValera, while his father was a lifetime supporter of local TD and president Paddy Hillary.
The family’s civic service can be traced back to the new mayor’s grandfather, Johnny Murphy, who served on the Board of Guardians in Ennistymon at the turn of the last century.
Twenty-one years ago he marched for the first time with the soldiers of destiny in the council election and was last week elected first citizen of Clare.
Taking the chain of office from outgoing mayor Cllr Pat Keane, he said his first priority was the provision of a proper health service for the people of Clare and the promotion of local industry.
A keen environmentalist, he has already installed solar power, wind power and waterpower in his north Clare home and is currently installing woodchip heating.
The new mayor was the driving force behind Clare’s twinning arrangement with Newry and Mourne. He is currently studying for an MA in local history and folklore in the Institute of Technology Tralee, where he is also chairman of its governing body.