Charlie steps down after decades of public service

OUTGOING councillor Charlie O’Connor, who steps down as an elected representative in June following decades of service, feels politics has become “more difficult” in the current environment.

During the monthly South Dublin County Council meeting last week, Cllr O’Connor (FF) also quipped about the “creative tensions” he shared with party colleague Conor Lenihan, and that he only fell out with one county manager (who remained nameless) during his time in the chamber.

O’Connor (78) was first elected in 1991 and along with Cllr Guss O’Connell, who also retires later in June, the pair are the only remaining sitting elected members from the first ever SDCC meeting in 1994.

The Tallaght politician was also elected as a TD from 2002 to 2011.

Speaking at the meeting, O’Connor also recalled how he came back into local politics at the council in 2014 during a “difficult time for me.”

Tragically, his son Robert (35) died that year.

“I’ve never been afraid to talk about my story because it is very much a part of me and I valued the fact that I came back to the council and people welcomed me so well. It was still good for me on a personal level to come back to the council where I had been happier previously.”

O’Connor also held praise for former county manager Frank Kavanagh, who provided him with the motivation to get back on his feet when he suffered a heart attack and was recuperating in bed at his sister’s house in Lucan.

“I think it was the November 5, 1999, when the council gathered to bring Shamrock Rovers to Tallaght and I always remember Frank Kavanagh said to me at the time ‘if you don’t get out of bed . . . and come back to chair that meeting, whatever is left of your political career will be gone.”

Ahead of the Local Elections, O’Connor wished members in the chamber good luck while noting “not all will come back.”

“Politics has become even more difficult. There was a time when you could easily knock on doors and easily walk around and that is changing. That’s unfortunate.

“When national politicians come out to our area and are picketed and abused, that’s all wrong because its flying in the face of democracy.”