Cllr. Mags Murray defects to Fianna Fáil

In a not entirely unexpected move, local county councillor Mags Murray has quit the Progressive Democrats and joined the Fianna Fáil party. Cllr. Murray was the party’s only public representative in the Fingal area and her defection to Fianna Fáil now means that the PDs will no longer have a voice on Fingal County Council.

Speaking to Community Voice, Cllr. Murray said her decision to leave the PDs was not prompted by any negative views of that party but rather a case of “returning to the fold. My family and extended family were always steeped in Fianna Fáil so even though I was a member of the PDs I suppose my heart was always in Fianna Fáil,” she said.

So why did she join the PD’s in the first place? “I remember meeting Bertie Ahern at a function and afterwards he asked Brian Lenihan ‘why haven’t we got Mags?’ Brian replied ‘for the simple reason that Tom Morrissey got her first.’”

Originally from Cork, Cllr. Murray has been a resident of Dublin 15 since 1986, initially living in Mulhuddart she now lives in Lohunda.

An accomplished sportswoman, she has two all-Ireland medals for camogie and gaelic football and a Railway Cup medal playing for Munster. Over the years she has been involved in most aspects of local community work including adult education, unemployment issues, women’s groups, cultural and sports activities.

According to Cllr. Murray, “as the only PD councillor in Fingal I was already a member of the Fianna Fáil group on the council so I don’t really see this as an end but rather a new beginning. I am still going to be a member of a government party. I am an independent person and I have a lot to bring to Fianna Fáil and I feel that they are getting a very good councillor. I was known in the party as ‘the green PD’ and I hope to bring this emphasis to my work in Fianna Fáil,” she said.

She has no negative feelings whatsoever about her time in the Progressive Democrats. “I had a great opportunity to make an input into government policy at national level and a number of my initiatives were subsequently acted upon by the Government,” she said. “I am not leaving because of the state of the party and I have a huge admiration for Mary Harney and all that she has achieved.”

However, looking to the future she says “home is where the heart is and my heart is in Fianna Fáil. I am ready to take up the challenge and look forward to continuing my work in the community under that banner.”

Community Voice, Media House, Church Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
Phone +353 1 822 1432 -  Fax +353 1 640 4444
info@communityvoice.ie

All content and images are © Perceptions[Publicity and Event Management] Limited. All rights reserved
Site developed by Vincent Cahill