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This would be funny if it wasn’t true. No wonder Ireland is rapidly going to the dogs.
In the recent local elections for county counillors in Ireland - a man called Michael Fahy was elected - with a large vote (exceeding his vote last time out). It was in the Loughrea electoral area in County Galway.
Nothing strange about that - but wait there’s more……
Michael Fahey has a middle nickname which is commonly used in media reports about him - he is known as “Stroke”. This is not because he likes to stroke pets. He is known as “stroke” because he is supposedly good at “pulling strokes” - i.e getting things done for people he knows or his supporters.
Now Mr Fahy it seems was also good at pulling strokes for himself - he resigned from Fianna Fáil in 2004 when it emerged that he was at the centre of a Garda investigation into a community scheme run by Galway County Council. He continued to serve as an independent councillor.

In February 2007 Cllr Fahy was convicted of seven charges in respect of the erection of more than a mile of fencing on his land. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison and fined €75,000.
He had served eight months when the Court of Criminal Appeal struck down the conviction and ordered a retrial. At the retrial two of the charges were withdrawn from the jury. Cllr Fahy was convicted of one charge of obtaining the benefit of €7,055 from Galway County Council by false pretences, and was sentenced to 12 months in prison and fined €30,000.

Now he has been re-elected by the people of Loughrea. What kind of signal does this send out to people all over the world ? It’s OK to defraud the system - we don’t care if our public representatives are using taxpayers and ratepayers money to benefit themselves. Over in England MPs are standing down because of dodgy expenses claims - but here we re-elect those that are guilty of crimes.
It is strange that he was allowed to stand for election - because according to the rules the following are disqualified from becoming members of a local authority:

“People who have been convicted of fraud or dishonest dealings, corrupt practice”
Why is he allowed to be elected? It’s probably because it is under appeal. If he loses the appeal he will have to be removed from office surely? In the meantime he can carry on getting paid to pull more strokes.
What a Country !