Report Paul Murphy
The part played by Cllr Brian Fitzgerald in helping to bring the Facebook company to Co Meath and his role in negotiations in the Northern Ireland peace process were among the items mentioned during speeches at a special event to mark his 40 years as a councillor on Meath County Council. The event held at Buvinda House was attended by councillors including Cathaoirleach Cllr Sharon Tolan, Meath TDs Independent Gillian Toole, Sinn Fein’s Darren O’Rourke and Fianna Fail’s Aisling Dempsey, Independent Senator Sharon Keogan and family members, Brian’s wife Noeleen, daughters Anne and Caitriona. Caitriona’s husband Barry and their daughter Heidi, and council Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe.
Master of ceremonies, council official Des Foley said they were gathered at Buvinda House to celebrate Brian Fitzgerald’s 40 years of outstanding service to the county council and to the people
of Meath. The councillor stood in his eighth local election last year and was re-elected. He also represented the Meath constituency as a TD from 1992 to 1997. He had also served the “dual
mandate”, being a TD at the same time as being a councillors.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Sharon Tolan, Cllr Brian Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe. and Noeleen Fitzgerald with fellow councillors and members of the executive team of Meath County Council.
He was formerly employed by Clerys Dublin and later Roadstone before becoming a full-time official with the Irish Transport and General Workers Union (now Siptu). His uncle Jack Fitzgerald held a seat on Meath County Council and later served as a Senator. Jack served as Cathaoirleach on two occasions but was also connected with Meath County Board of the GAA. “Brian is also a loyal and proud GAA man”, Mr Foley said. Brian Fitzgerald served as a member of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation and played a role in opening up dialogue between both sections of the conflict in Northern Ireland. He also served for 13 years on the North Eastern Health Board. He was also part of a delegation including Kevin Stewart and the late Joe Horan in setting up the twinning of County Meath with Cary in North Carolina, a relationship that saw the sharing of ideas on economic planning and development.
Outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr Tolan said that 40 years service to a county council was “a remarkable achievement” . It reflected not only dedication and resilience but a deep commitment to
community, to progress and to people. His calm confidence before last year’s local elections now made sense – it was his 8 th time doing it, she said. Few could say that they have earned the trust of the people time and time again over four decades. He had served as Cathaoirleach on three occasions and it was her pleasure to acknowledge his long and distinguished service to the council.
Council Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe congratulated the councillor on “40 brilliant years” and thanked him for his hard work and tremendous service and for making Meath a better place.
Generous tributes were also paid by party whips on the council, Independent Cllr Nick Killian, Fine Gael’s Cllr Gerry O’Connor, Fianna Fail’s Cllr Wayne Harding, and the Mayor of Navan Sinn Fein’s Cllr Eddie Fennessy, and Aontú’s Cllr Emer Toibin.
Cllr Fitzgerald thanked the outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr Tolan and the Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe along with officials Elaine Daly and Francis Regan for organising the event. He said the event was “totally unexpected” and he had thought there might be a “few words” at the normal council meeting and “that would be that”. It was hard to believe that 40 years after he was first elected to
the council in 1985, he would be still on the council.
Noeleen Fitzgerald, wife of Brian who he paid praise and thanks for the support and dedication over his years of service as a politician and full time union official often away from home in his work. Also in the picture left Cathaoirleach Cllr Sharon Tolan and far right Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe.
He paid tribute to his wife Noeleen and his family for supporting him through all those years. He had had 9-5 jobs with Clerys and Roadstone
with weekends off but then became a trade union official “which demanded every hour that God sent” and was driving 50,000 miles a year, leaving home at 7am and often not returning until one or two the following morning. A lot was left to his wife Noeleen who had three school going children to care for and then another baby Anne arrived in 1984. He had worked with many councillors during his 40 years and each and every one of them had a deep commitment to the county. There might have been some meetings when they “tore strips off one another” but when the meeting was over those arguments were left in the chamber. He recalled the great achievements of the Gaelic players of the county – men’s All Ireland winners, women’s All-Ireland winners and minors All-Ireland winners, and Meath hurlers’ win in the Christy Ring Cup.
One of the great achievements of the county, he said, came about on the day when he and then chief executive Jackie Maguire cut the sod on the Facebook plant. From that day on, irrespective of the part of the world they visited, Meath had a valuable “calling card” in the Facebook connection.
A standing ovation from all in attendance at the special event held at Buvinda House to mark Cllr Brian Fitzgerald’s 40 Years on Meath County Council
