Young cllr fills Butler's shoes on town council

It was a case of out with the not-so-old and in with the new at Trim Town Council on Tuesday night of last week. At the May monthly meeting, it was confirmed that Deputy Ray Butler's old seat on the council would go to general election canvasser, count aficionado and now councillor, William Bligh. The Trim-based Fine Gael TD and former shoe salesman, whose late surge in the Meath West saw him take a seat in Leinster House, was on hand to welcome his successor to the table, and also found himself in receipt of a presentation from the council congratulating him on his success. Gregarious Deputy Butler was presented with an elegant mounted clock inset in a glass tablet to adorn his new office by cathaoirleach, Cllr Trevor Golden, and heard warm praise and a few friendly jibes from his former colleages. "It's a great honour for me," Deputy Butler said. "In my seven years here in total, I've worked with great councillors, and made a lot of friends and it's a great honour to see William Bligh in his new shirt and tie and I'm sure he'll do a great job." "We'll get the hair done next," joked Cllr Gerry Reilly. "His heart is certainly in the right place and he'll be a very good addition to the council," said Deputy Butler. He described the Trim council staff as "fantastic" before finishing off, saying "that goes for one and all, it was a pleasure working with you". Cllr Bligh is not the first of the Blighs on a council. In the 1960s and '70s, his grandfather, John, was a member of Meath County Council for the Kilbride area and that connection is now re-made with the 27-year-old Bolton Street graduate. Fine Gael's Cllr Gerry Reilly proposed Cllr Bligh to the members and his co-option was seconded by Labour councillor, Cllr Donall O'Brien. After a brief 'welcomed aboard' round of applause from all of the members and staff, Cllr Bligh kept it short and sweet, thanking the members and Cllr Reilly who "saw fit to put me forward and I look forward to a very productive three years in front of us". Cllr Vincent McHugh said he knew Cllr Bligh's grandfather from the council and wished him the best of luck, which complemented Cllr Ronan McKenna's words of welcome: "It's a great honour for all of us, and I know you share that view, but it's a great opportunity, too, and it's exciting to see more young blood getting involved. "There's great experience around this table and it's nice to match it with youth and I know you'll help continue the good work." Cllrs James O'Shea, cathaoirleach Cllr Golden and Cllr O'Brien all remarked on Cllr Bligh's "infectious enthusiasm" for the town and for politics, his intelligence, and Cllr O'Brien said he "couldn't wait to get stuck in". "There's no better man at a count with figures," said Cllr Reilly of the former property economics graduate. "I worked in the Bounty Bar (which the Blighs own) for six years, so I knew his mother, Pauline, and today's a very proud day," he added. Cllr Bligh, who works in the Russell Restaurant in Navan, later pledged to concentrate on the promotion of Trim and said he is "very much looking forward to working for the town". If Cllr Bligh and his colleagures are looking to follow his predecessor to Leinster House, Trim members demonstrated that the town council doesn't let one of their own go without a reminder of where they came from. "It's no good, Ray, we have your number now!" and "Our inside man, fighting our corner" were some of the more playfully barbed lines of congratulations.