Mayo Greens launch election campaign

The Green Party has launched its Mayo campaign for the local and European elections.

At the Westport event, Senator Pauline O’Reilly, the Green Party’s MEP candidate for the Midland-North West Constituency, was joined by the party’s two candidates for the local election, Peter Nolan, who will run in the Westport Electoral Area, and Micheál O’Connell, who will run in Belmullet. Peter is an organic farmer between Louisburgh and Westport. Micheál was raised on a small farm in Erris. He was a managing director of an Insurance company in Dublin, before returning to Belmullet, where he owned and managed The Boxty Factory in the town.

Speaking to the Western People, Micheál and Peter rejected the assertion that their party is out of touch with rural Ireland. “I think that’s a perception that’s put out there," said Micheál. “The Green Party doesn’t have to stop anyone cutting turf because the next generation won’t cut turf. They are not interested,” he added.

Micheál said there are three new bus services into Belmullet that weren’t there before the Greens got into Government. “Any leader of any party that comes down to Belmullet they don’t realise what life is like. If you live in Blacksod, you are not going to cycle to Belmullet for a pint of milk or a packet of cigarettes. There has to be a different solution for people in Erris. Other party leaders who came down to Erris had no concept of what it’s like to live in Erris.  

Micheál said he was prompted to run for election because he wants his grandchildren to “grow up in a world that’s liveable.”  

One of the hottest topics on Peter’s doorstep is the contentious Belclare to Murrisk Greenway. “Where it’s at now it’s being turned into a ‘land grab’ compulsory purchase subject,” said Peter. “Personally, the preferred route through Murrisk, I don’t sees any sense in disturbing the nature that’s there when there is established infrastructure around for cycles,” he commented.