Holland says he won't let the people down as Waldron family back him for late Cllr Anthony’s Waldron’s council seat
Michael Holland left pictured during the late Cllr Anthony Waldron's election campaign in 2019 with the late councillor and Sean and Bernadine Mulryan.
The family of the late Independent councillor Anthony Waldron who passed away suddenly two months will be nominating Ballintubber man Michael Holland (senior) to fill his seat on Roscommon County Council.
“Michael is a proud Roscommon man, a passionate Ballintubber man and had been a great friend to Anthony over the years as well as working with him on election campaigns. In that regard he is very well placed to build on Anthony’s legacy and represent the best interests of the constituents,” said the Waldron family.
“It has been more than two months since the untimely passing of Anthony. His contributions as a county councillor have been widely documented and recognised during this time. An extraordinary number of people have also reached out to share the less public contributions he made to improve their lives or where he offered help and support in difficult times. It has also been well documented that Anthony was only getting started on some projects he was deeply committed to. That work must continue, and the Waldron family is very happy to support Michael Holland Senior in stepping into Anthony’s seat.
“We wish Michael the best of luck and offer any support we can,” said the family.
Speaking to the Roscommon Herald, Mr Holland, who was the late councillor’s director of elections in 2019 said that he was “honoured and humbled” to have the backing of the Waldron family.
“Anthony and I went back a long way,” said the former Ballintubber businessman.
The pair were instrumental in setting up Ballintubber Development Association in 1997 and Mr Holland was behind all of Cllr Waldron’s election campaigns.
He pointed out that when the late Cllr Waldron was considering running in the last General Election he indicated to him that should he be successful he wanted him to have his seat on Roscommon County Council.
It is because of Cllr Waldron’s wish and the support of the Waldron family, together with the support of family and friends in the Ballintubber area that he has decided to allow his name to go forward.
He said that he knew he would “have big boots to fill” but he pledged to continue Cllr Waldron’s work and assured the people of Ballintubber and the Roscommon Municipal District that he would not let them down.
He stressed that it was very important that the seat be kept in the Ballintubber area as that would have been Anthony’s wish and it was the wish of the Waldron family.
Already Ballintubber community activist Gail Murray has been nominated for the position by the Ballintubber Development Association, which is an umbrella group for approximately ten different local committees in the area.
Also being nominated to fill the role is former TD and Senator Eugene Murphy.
Last week the the Standing Orders Committee of Roscommon County Council met to discuss the vacancy on the council and decided that it would be publicly advertised. Current legislation does not limit nominations to the Roscommon/Ballintubber Municipal District, from which Councillor Waldron was elected.
The administrator of Roscommon County Council has been tasked with arranging for the publication of the advertisement, which will outline the application procedures and eligibility criteria for prospective candidates. It is anticipated that this notice will be published by the end of April or early May.
The co-option will be considered and decided upon at the May plenary meeting of Roscommon County Council, with the successful candidate to be selected by a simple majority vote of the elected members present.
