John will be keeping busy in 'retirement'

For 47 years, when storms were raging in north Mayo and many homes were left without electricity, John O'Hara was among the ESB crews answering the call.

Now, after almost five decades as an ESB technician, the Bonniconlon native has retired from a career that saw him spend 40 years answering emergency call-outs, restoring power to homes and businesses in the aftermath of storms and often in treacherous conditions.

Retirement, however, is a relative term.

The Fine Gael councillor remains as busy as ever representing the Ballina Municipal District, while also helping to steer one of Mayo's biggest community events as chairman of the Bonniconlon Agricultural Show, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

Looking back on almost five decades with the ESB, John says the most rewarding part of the job was helping restore power to homes, especially when it meant vulnerable customers would once again have electricity.

"It can be hard enough on a bad night, but we enjoyed it. It was part of our duty. I always enjoyed it," he told the Western People.

"There were a lot of vulnerable customers out there. You have sick people, and you know if the electricity goes off, the water then goes off. That's why we happily worked through the night so that in the morning they would have [power] back. For all ESB personnel, that was our number one priority."

Among the countless call-outs over four decades, Storm Éowyn stands out as a particularly chaotic period.

“That was probably the worst storm we ever dealt with. Every customer was out of power that morning after the storm.

“From the engineers down to the ground staff, everyone worked hard to get power back. ESB works together as a family, they work with each other and for each other,” he explained.

Although he has stepped away from the ESB, John has no intention of slowing down, and is looking forward to continuing to work on behalf of the people of Ballina and north Mayo.

Having served as Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council in 2025, he describes representing Mayo at home and abroad as the greatest honour of his public life.

One issue he believes deserves far greater attention is the promotion of tourism in the West.

Following visits to the United States during his term as Cathaoirleach, John came home convinced that counties Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal are being overlooked by Ireland's better-known tourist destinations.

"When I went to America, the thing I found was that tourism in the west of Ireland is not promoted enough. When I spoke to people, they had visited Dublin, Kerry, some might’ve gone to Galway, but they came no further north than that,” he said.

He believes a dedicated committee should be established to promote Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal to tourists.

"We have more than anyone to promote, and we have the best coastline in the world."

John is also concerned about the potential impact of angling restrictions and the Warm Water Protocol on Ballina's tourism industry, saying he fears that holiday makers could opt to travel elsewhere if they are unable to fish during their stay here.

“There are people coming here for years to fish, and we are going to lose them now because they’re not allowed to fish, and they can only catch one fish a day. It doesn’t make sense, we are losing out,” he said.

“If it's too warm, the fisheries won’t let the fishermen fish. That is a disgrace. I’ve been getting lots of phone calls on it. We’re losing vital tourism,” he said.

Council priorities

With three years to go until the next local elections, John remains focused on what he sees as the key challenges facing the Ballina municipal area, arguing that infrastructure investment must keep pace with the area's continued growth.

Among his biggest concerns is the level of funding available for local roads. While the cost of materials, fuel and labour has risen sharply in recent years, John says that funding allocations have failed to keep pace, leaving local authorities unable to carry out the same amount of maintenance works.

"The price of everything has gone up, and there is not enough money to maintain the roads. What you had six years ago is the same amount of funding you have now, but it will only do half the amount of the roads," he said.

He also believes increased funding is needed for Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) roads, which remain a priority for many rural communities.

Looking ahead, John says tackling traffic congestion in Ballina is essential to ensure the town continues to grow and help keep local businesses thriving.

He has long advocated for a third bridge across the River Moy and is calling for the long-sterilised route from Hollister ULC, across to Church Road, past the Golf Links and onto the Sligo Road to be placed firmly on the Government's agenda.

"I am calling on our Minister Dara Calleary to get it on the agenda. There's no movement, it's being left on the shelf, but every day, there is more and more traffic coming into town. We need that bridge."

Housing is another issue he believes must be tackled if Ballina is to continue growing. He argues that private developers are being prevented from delivering much-needed homes because of planning delays and objections.

"We have plenty of [developers] in Ballina ready to go, but they're being stopped. That's why the pressure is on the county council to get houses because private developers are being denied planning permission," he said.

"It's wrong because our town won't be able to move on if we don't have houses."

Bonniconlon Show

Away from council business, John’s commitment to his community is perhaps best reflected in the Bonniconlon Agricultural Show. A lifelong supporter of the event, he has been involved in its organisation for more than 40 years and serves as chairman.

Having attended the show since childhood, he has watched it grow into one of Ireland's largest agricultural shows, attracting thousands of visitors to north Mayo each year.

Preparations are now well underway for this year's 75th show, and John was quick to praise the volunteers whose dedication has kept the event going over the years.

"It takes so much time to get everything together. It is months of hard work. Without our volunteers, it would be impossible to run it. It's a compliment to each and every one of them for keeping it going for 75 years," he said.

"It should be 77 years, but we didn't run for two years during Covid. It is a credit to the people of Bonniconlon how they have kept the show together."

Despite competing with much larger towns and agricultural shows across the country, John believes the event's continued success is a testament to the commitment of the volunteers, committee and local landowners.

"Our parish is small, but to be the second or third biggest show in Ireland takes a lot of work and dedication," he said.

When he's not attending council meetings or helping organise the Bonniconlon Show, John enjoys spending time on his small farm outside the village.

He keeps a small suckler herd and says farming gives him the chance to switch off from the demands of public life.

“I like it as a hobby to get away from everyone, it’s great to go out in the field, and the cattle don’t talk back to you,” he joked.

“There is nothing I like better than going out for a walk out in the fields. It does you good. It’s a bit of time for myself,” he said.

For a man who has spent almost five decades serving his community in one way or another, it's perhaps no surprise that retirement hasn't slowed him down; it has however, given him a little more time to enjoy the quiet of the countryside.