Newly co-opted Roscommon pays tribute to his predecessor and wants public amenity named in his honour
Mr Holland secured thirteen of the seventeen councillors' votes at the expense of Gail Murray, who received three votes from Independent councillors Valerie Byrne and Tony Ward, and Sinn Féin's Leah Cull. A third candidate, Ernie Draper, received no votes. A fourth nominee, Mairead Kenny, withdrew her nomination on May 21.
Roscommon County Council is controlled by a power sharing alliance comprising five Fianna Fáil, four Fine Gael and three Independent councillors. All twelve had agreed to vote for Mr Holland before Monday's special meeting of the council.
Independent Ireland councillor Nigel Dineen abstained from the vote.
Mr Holland said he would dedicate himself full-time to his role as a county councillor. He is the third new councillor to take his seat in the council chamber in as many months.
In his maiden address to the council chamber, Cllr Holland paid tribute to his lifelong friend Anthony Waldron and promised to continue his work as a councillor.
'I will do everything in my power to fill Tony's boots,' he told Shannonside FM after his co-option.
Cllr Holland asked that a jetty and a park be named in honour of the late councillor – which was formally proposed by Independent councillor Tom Crosby. The late Cllr Waldron, who lived in Ballintubber, County Roscommon, but hailed from Aghamore in County Mayo, served two terms as a councillor, between 2004 and 2009 and between 2019 and February 2025.
A moment's silence in Cllr Waldron's memory was observed following a proposal by Roscommon County Council Cathaoirleach, Paschal Fitzmaurice.
Meanwhile Cllr Holland labelled reports linking him with a proposed IPAS centre in Roscommon town as 'hurtful', adding that he had 'no hand, act or part with it'.
Noel Whelan has applied to An Bord Pleanála for permission to use Academy House on Goff Street to accommodate International Protection Applicants under a Class 20F exemption.
An online petition against the proposal has attracted over 300 signatures and opposition from some elected representatives.
The case is to be determined before August 18.
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