Long-time local politician, Aengus O’Rourke became Mayor of his own town of Athlone, for the second time, at the Municipal District AGM last Monday afternoon.
His election as Mayor for 2020/21 came from an alliance between the four Fianna Fail members and the Green member of Athlone and Moate Municipal District, writes David Flynn. He succeeds his party colleague, Cllr. Frankie Keena who was Mayor in the last year.
The Fianna Fail councillor is a member of the Lenihan political dynasty – son of former Minster Mary O’Rourke, nephew and cousin of the late Brian Lenihan Snr and Jnr. His grandfather, the late PJ Lenihan was a former TD and held the first citizen role for Athlone for many years from the 1940s to the 1960s.
Cllr. O’Rourke was proposed as Mayor at the Athlone Municipal District election by his Fianna Fail colleague, Cllr. Vinny McCormack and the Green party’s Cllr. Louise Heavin. Cllr. O’Rourke had been previously Mayor of Athlone for 2017/18.
He was first elected to Athlone Town Council in 2009, and won the subsequent Municipal District elections in 2014 and 2019; however he was unsuccessful in the Longford/Westmeath Dail by-election of 2014, which followed the death of Fine Gael’s Deputy Nicky McFadden.
Mayor O’Rourke said following his election on Monday, that it was a huge honour to serve his town and district.
“We are living in extraordinary times, due to Covid-19, and we have seen families robbed of last goodbyes, and I would express condolences to the families of those almost 1700 Covid-19 people,” said the new Athlone Mayor.
Mayor O’Rourke is married to Lisa and they have four children. He is a businessman and is owner of Midland Print and Signs, which is based in Pearse Street, Athlone.
Fianna Fail’s Cllr. Liam McDaniel proposed Cllr. Louise Heavin as Deputy Mayor, and Cllr. Keena seconded the proposal.