'I would love to run': Cork County Mayor on his Dáil aspirations 

The new Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank O’Flynn, has refused to rule out the possibility of running for the Dáil if the situation ever arose in the future.

The Fianna Fáil councillor, who represents the Fermoy Municipal District and has been a member of Cork County Council since 1999, told The Echo he would love to run for the Dáil if the opportunity ever presented itself.

“I would love to run for the Dáil, but there was never an opportunity there. As Shakespeare said, what is man without ambition?

“Of course, I would love to run for the Dáil,” he said. 

“Maybe the opportunity might arise. I am overwhelmed by the many people who have been asking me about it since I became the County Mayor.”

His immediate electoral target however remains next June’s local elections.

Local elections 

“I want to continue the work I am doing ing the communities and the people out there. I want to give a commitment that I will work hard and enjoy my year. I had a very good local election in 2019.

“I am looking forward to calling to people next spring and asking them for their again so I can continue to work for them in the community for the next five years.”

Mr O’Flynn hopes Fianna Fáil will return as many councillors as possible in next June’s local elections.

“Fianna Fáil had great success in the Fermoy MD in 2019. We returned three seats out of six. We would be hoping to have three councillors elected again next June.

“I hope in the next local elections that Fianna Fáil will return as many councillors as possible. There is an opening for an extra seat in both the Cobh and Midleton electoral areas.

“Cllr Sheila O’Callaghan and Cllr Ann Marie Ahern are great workers, and they might bring colleagues back in with them. 

“Fianna Fáil has gone through difficult times. The polls don’t seem to be favourable at the moment. We will keep ploughing on.”

However, Mr O’Flynn said it is a “tremendous honour and privilege” to serve as the new County Mayor.

Becoming County Mayor 

“I am the first mayor in the Fermoy MD area since Dick Fitzgerald back in 1981. I will do the job to the best of my ability. 

“I am grateful to the of Cork County Council and Fianna Fáil for nominating me. I am grateful to my family, especially my wife Mary and my son s John. I am a proud Cork man.

“I recognise the greatness of our beloved county. Cork County has long been a place of tremendous growth and will continue to be.”

The new mayor has had a very busy schedule since he was elected on Friday, June 23 with a plethora of engagements throughout the county which he thoroughly enjoys.

“It has been very busy, but very enjoyable. I love meeting people. 

“I love visiting communities and seeing the great amount of voluntary effort that is out there. I love meeting the businesspeople and seeing what is happening in our county. I look forward to working with people.

“We are lucky in Cork that we are a growing county. We have a well-educated workforce. We have a very good education system. 

“We have a very good community, and we have an exceptional quality of life. People are continuing to shop local. We came out of covid on the right side. I can see our villages and towns coming back to life. I can see our shops and bars doing very well,” he added.

Mr O’Flynn, who lives in Glanworth, has been a member of Cork County Council since he was first elected in 1999. 

He says he loves his role as a political representative.

“I did Dairy and Food Science in UCC. I was a creamery manager with Dairygold Co-Op for many years. I am now a full-time politician.

“I was first elected to the council in June 1999. I took over from Carey Joyce who retired. 

“I am grateful to the electorate who have returned me with a massive vote of confidence in every election since. I work extremely hard. I am there to help every single member of the public and I will be a listening mayor.

“Community means an awful lot. I am a very strong community person and a strong er of the community.”

Priorities as Mayor 

The new County Mayor said he has several key priorities he wants to prioritise during his tenure.

Housing is a key priority for him. He has called for the fast-tracking of derelict houses and vacant buildings in towns and villages throughout the county.

The County Mayor also emphasised the importance of continuing to build up communities throughout the county to breathe new life into areas and help businesses.

“The biggest issue at the moment is housing. 99% of the calls I get are about housing. 

“It is imperative we as a county address the urgent need for social and affordable houses.

“I will be utilising all possible avenues to ensure we provide more houses. We are making a start.

“We have beautiful towns and villages with derelict sites and vacant buildings for the last 20 or 30 years and nothing happening. 

“We need to bring them back into use. We need a fast-track system.

“We must get people back living in our towns and put life back into our towns. This will help businesses and local family businesses.

“We have to get rid of the red tape,” the County Mayor said, in relation to the fast-tracking of derelict sites and vacant buildings. 

“You have the footpaths there, road network, sewerage, water, and broadband. 

“You have bus services and in some places train services and Local Link. If you move out to a greenfield site, you must provide all those facilities. 

“I can’t understand why it takes so long to get those vacant sites back. You could have shops in the bottom and people living overhead. 

“There are too many laws and it is frustrating for people. We eased the rules during covid with outdoor dining and it worked.

“We need to keep building our communities up. We need good strong sporting organisations, Tidy Towns groups and community councils in each area. We are lucky in Cork that we have such strong voluntary organisations. I am very big on community.

“Leader and Tidy Towns groups are doing great work. Climate action is very important, and I am a strong er of the arts, culture, and heritage. I will also advocate strongly for a fair share of funding for our road network in Cork,” he added.