Waterford councillor entered draw for Boston trip despite party colleague’s opposition

A Waterford councillor entered the draw to travel to Boston for St. Patrick’s Day despite the opposition of one of her party colleagues to the trip.

Sinn Féin councillor Kate O’Mahoney was the only member of her party to express interest in being part of the Waterford City and County Council delegation.

She was one of 15 councillors to enter the draw to join the Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Seamus Ryan, and Chief Executive Sean McKeown on the trip.

The Metropolitan Mayor, Cllr Adam Wyse, and independent councillor Joe Kelly were the two members to come out of the draw.

The trip has been the subject of much controversy at recent council meetings, particularly in light of comments made by Sinn Féin councillor John Hearne.

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A war of words broke out at the council’s March plenary meeting after Cllr Hearne claimed on social media that the trip would cost the council €50,000.

Cllr Hearne questioned whether the council should have sent the delegation to the United States, given its ties to Israel.

He accused America of “supporting a child-butchering apartheid state” and “killing as many people as the Israelis are”.

He also pointed to threats made by US President Donald Trump against Greenland and Columbia.

Fianna Fáil councillor Jason Murphy subsequently accused Sinn Féin councillors of hypocrisy for condemning the trip but entering the draw to go.

However, a number of the party’s elected members denied entering the draw.

At the council’s April plenary meeting, Fine Gael councillor Lola O’Sullivan asked for clarity on who entered the draw to travel to the US.

Cllr O’Sullivan said: “In relation to the trip to Boston, I queried the cost of the trip and I believe it’s come back as €18,000 so it was fake news what was reported on social media.

“Can I get clarification on what political groupings were represented in the draw for the trip to Boston because there seems to be some confusion.”

This was followed by some deliberation over whether the councillors should be named or whether it should just be the political groupings mentioned.

Mayor Seamus Ryan said that the best way “to put this one to bed” was to list the names of the people who entered the draw.

However, independent councillor Joe O’Riordan complained that this would be a breach of GDPR.

This suggestion sparked a loud and for the most part inaudible reaction in the chamber, with many councillors disagreeing.
Eventually, Senior Engineer Ivan Grimes named the 15 councillors who had entered the draw.

They were as follows: Joe Kelly (IND), John O’Leary (FF), Pat Nugent (FG), Kate O’Mahoney (SF), Declan Barry (IND), John Pratt (LAB), Joe O’Riordan (IND), Declan Clune (IND), Lola O’Sullivan (FG), Frank Quinlan (FG), Adam Wyse (FF), Niamh O’Donovan (FF), Thomas Phelan (LAB), Blaise Hannigan (IND) and Jason Murphy (FF).

After the names were announced, Sinn Féin councillor Pat Fitzgerald asked whether any Sinn Féin member had been named.

Mayor Ryan clarified to him that Cllr O’Mahoney was a member of his party, which drew laughs across the chamber.

The Social Democrats was the only party with an elected member (Cllr Mary Roche) that did not enter the draw.