‘Starting a conversation’
Fiona McCormack (nee Bannon) hopes her candidature at June’s local elections comes across as the embodiment of grassroots empowerment in community politics. As a new independent female name on the ballot sheet, the Cootehill mum of three carries an unwavering dedication to her home area and what she believes are a set of “fresh perspectives” across a range of topical issues.
Standing in the hotly contested Bailieborough-Cootehill area, Fiona already has the backing of Cootehill Concerned Citizens (CCC), and she intends to use her platform to amplify the voices of those she feels too often go unheard or overlooked.
In return the local group has set up a Gofundme to assist her campaign launch, which at the time of going to print was less than €100 shy of hitting its funding goal.
On her involvement with CCC and the subject of protesting the use of the White Horse Hotel to accommodate refugees, Fiona says her engagement stemmed from a deeply held concern over access to essential services and opportunities for all residents in Cootehill.
“It wasn’t so much about new people coming to the town, it was more I wanted better services for those that did come. That was really my aim. I saw it as an opportunity to try and change a situation, to get things improved. It’s about better services for everyone living here,” she explained.
Native to Cootehill - Fiona’s parents ran the former Bannon’s Bar - she worked as a nurse in Belfast for a period before moving back to Cavan with her husband about 20 years ago.
The married couple have three children - two girls and one boy - and outside of working for the HSE at the nearby Annalee respite centre, Fiona enjoys attending the gym in her spare time.
Driven by a passion for fairness and equality, Fiona is under no illusion as to just how difficult the prospect of getting elected will be.
With six sitting councillors set to run for re-election and at least three new names in the hat so far, it’s set to be a competitive area. Labour and the Green Party have signalled their intention to run candidates all over the country but none have been confirmed in Bailieborough Cootehill to date.
There hasn’t been an Independent candidate elected in the Bailieborough area since Winston Turner in 1999. Then a seven-seater, he lost his position five years later in 2004 and, again, failed to make any headway when he ran again in 2009.
The Bailieborough-Cootehill MD was created following the dissolution of Town Councils in 2014, when the six seats were all claimed by established party candidates. Two independents ran - the late Harry Reburn and environmental campaigner Val Martin - but both were among the first eliminated in the contest.
No independents ran for election in the Bailieborough-Cootehill in 2019.
Still, Fiona tells the Celt that it is important for the future of local governance that everyone’s voice matters.
It’s something she feels is not happening, and admits to being “fed up” by the message of so-called mainstream parties. “I’ve nothing to do with politics at all, never had an interest really other than just the town and keeping it as a safe place for people to live. I just think there’s not enough done for the people of the area.
“I was a union rep in work. I don’t take these things on for me. I really have a passion for helping people. So I’m working from the ground up, speaking to people on a daily basis, I’m hearing these things day after day after day. A lot of people really need help out there. A lot of people have had enough.”
Since making her announcement Fiona says “feedback” has been positive.
“I am an advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. I can also be an advocate for people of the area both young and senior. I’m here to listen. We need to start the conversation. We need our voices to be heard,” states Fiona, adding that, if she is asked about subject she doesn’t immediately have an answer for, she’ll happily “ask the important questions that need to be asked”.
“I’ve come a long way in my life. I know the people of Cootehill all my life. This is completely new to me but I’m not afraid of it. There is a need for change. I want to be honest with people, that’s most important, and include everyone. People have heard me speaking at the Concerned Citizens group, they know how passionate I am about the area and the communities in it.”