Former Labour leader launches Leonard campaign

With Labour leader, Eamon Gilmore stricken by a bug, his predecessor - Dublin TD Pat Rabbitte - came to Kinnegad"s Hilamar Hotel to officially launch Denis Leonard"s election campaign.Mr. Leonard, a member of Kinnegad Community Council, will run alongside Cllr. Mick Dollard on the Labour ticket in Mullingar East for the forthcoming local elections.Mr. Gilmore extended his sincerest apologies to the Kinnegad man for his absence, and wished the Kinnegad Labour Branch and his supporters well.'I know how much you have achieved for the Kinnegad area over the many years through your tireless volunteer work and I am excited about what you both might achieve if elected to the County Council,' the Labour leader said.'Everyone with you tonight will agree that Kinnegad deserves candidates who know the challenges facing the area. You not only know these challenges but you understand the strengths of the local community to meet those challenges and how to channel those strengths constructively and that is why you will make a superb councillor.'The Kinnegad Branch is one of our strongest and I look forward to thanking its members in person in the not too distant future for the work it has undertaken on behalf of the entire community.'I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is to have an election team working with you and hope that as a result of tonight that you have a great many more supporters that you can count on between now and the election.'As I"ve said I have every intention of visiting Kinnegad and supporting your campaign and that of all the team in Westmeath in the not too distant future. Until then I wish you the very best with the night and your campaign.'Mr. Rabbitte, speaking on behalf of his party leader, praised the strong team of Michael Dollard and Denis Leonard, and saying that 'strong leadership' was needed in challenging economic times.MEPs invited to second Killucan station meetingLast month, inclement weather conditions in Europe halted MEPs from visiting the Workman"s Hall at Killucan, to meet members of the public and local transport lobbyists seeking to have the train station at Killucan re-opened.With the Continent now enjoying more favourable weather conditions, MEPs Marian Harkin (Independent) and Jim Higgins (Fine Gael) will attend a rescheduled meeting on Thursday next, March 12.Everyone is welcome to the meeting, including all local and national politicians, and community groups and businesses from the Coole and greater Mullingar areas (such as Kinnegad, Rochfortbridge, Milltownpass, Delvin etc), who would benefit greatly from the re-opening of Killucan Station.The current objective of the Killucan-Kinnegad Transport Lobby Group is to convince national and European-level politicians to ensure that Killucan Station is included in the forthcoming review of Transport 21.The group is also anxious to look at support from the EU in terms of getting more people off the road, and transporting more goods by rail.In the meantime, people looking for information about the campaign check out the website, www.reopenkillucanstation.org.