Hundreds attend party for local FF centenary

More than 300 people sat down to dinner with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Bloomfield House Hotel last Friday evening to celebrate 100 years of Fianna Fáil in Westmeath. Among them were former taoiseach Brian Cowen, former minister Noel Dempsey, and former senators Donie Cassidy and Camillus Glynn, plus many former and sitting public representatives and representatives of deceased political figures.

Speakers at the event were An Taoiseach Mr Martin, Minister of State with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, Robert Troy, TD, and cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, Cllr Aoife Davitt.

Before the dinner there was a drinks reception at which a collage of party photographs and memorabilia was on display. As they perused the exhibition and caught up with old friends, guests were entertained by Comhaltas champion musicians Joe Connaire and sisters Aoife and Anna Dunleavy.

After a sumptuous meal a commemorative cake was wheeled out by Donie Cassidy and cut by An Taoiseach. The champagne was cracked open by Shauna Coyne, Kinnegad.

There were mementos on each table including a centenary badge and a booklet containing an address by An Taoiseach and a history of Fianna Fáil in Westmeath, going back 100 years. After dinner there was live entertainment by Chris Loughrey.

The centenary dinner was organised by Robert Hayden, Liz Gilhooly who was singled out as “Miss Fianna Fail” for special mention for her contribution, Clare Moran, Cllr Bill Collentine, Eoin Cawley, Aideen Troy, James Bourke, Donie Cassidy, Shauna Coyne, Robert Troy, TD, Des Cawley (who also acted as MC on the night), Ariane Hayden, Cllr Vinny McCormack, Alan Raftery and Sharon Higgins-Hamm.

The Westmeath team of Fianna Fáil public representatives were in attendance – Minister Troy, Senators Paul Daly and Aidan Davitt, and Cllrs Alfie Devine, Niall Gaffney, Ken Glynn, Bill Collentine, Vinny McCormack, Liam McDaniel, Frankie Keena, Aoife Davitt, chairperson of Westmeath County Council, and Aengus O’Rourke.

Long serving members of FF honoured

One of the longest serving members of Fianna Fáil in Westmeath, Tom Ledwith from Mount Temple, featured in a video played at the party’s centenary celebrations in Mullingar on Friday last. He said that 100 years does not feel like history when you are 90.

Tom complimented An Taoiseach Micheál Martin on his achievement in the White House recently, and his ability as an negotiator to achieve what no other state leaders could achieve. Mount Temple Cumann was established in 1928/29 by the local curate Fr Skelly and Tom’s father was one of the leading members as Fianna Fáil “emerged from the ashes of a vicious and nasty civil war”.

Tom recalled one particular night when a large meeting was held in their farmhouse kitchen in Ballymurray. Tom was nine or 10 at the time, but he still remembers the people who were there and the atmosphere they created. “We had Joe Kennedy, Frank Carter, Erskine Childers, PJ Lenihan, James J McCauley,” he recounted. He recalled canvassing with his father on a bike as a teenager, and later he helped redevelop the cumann.

Tom urged politicians to emulate de Valera, “a tremendous negotiator”, and the youth to “develop the party and their own skills and their own spirit of patriotism”.

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin applauded Tom Ledwith for his “most elegant commentary” and “beautiful diction”, and his contribution to the party.

All the honorary presidents of Westmeath Fianna Fáil received certificates from An Taoiseach, assisted by Cllr Vinny McCormack. Among them were Christo Bradley, Des Briody, John Butler, Paddy Connaughton, Sean Finn, Nancy Gavin, Joan Higgins, Jimmy Kane, Tom Ledwith, Charlie Nolan, Bridget Turner, and TR Dallas (Tom Allen).