John Gillan 2 - Sligo Poets

Sligo Nationalist 17 January 1914
           Municipal Elections
               (By John Gillan)

In the Town Hall on last Monday week
 Important business was got through,
Returning to the Corporation
 Members old and new.

There wasn’t much excitement,
 Not even one contest,
In any of the three Wards—
 North, East, or West.

No better man there could be got
 With such a fine re-cord,
Than Mr B.McTernan
 For the great North Ward.

Of course it’s right to give good men
 Places on their turns,
And no one could refuse a seat
 To Mr. Michael Burns.

Councillor Farrell, for the West Ward,
 A decent man is he;
He’s a man of brains and talent—
 Well fit for a T.C.

Than the Labour man in Lord Edward Street
 ’Twould be impossible really,
To find one to take his place—
 That’s Councillor Peter Kealey.

Workingmen of Sligo,
 Is there one who can
See that you get more justice
 Than John Lynch, the Alderman?

As smart a member could not be got—
 For his words shall always carry—
As the Trade and Labour Council’s choice,
 Mr. D. McSharry.

Now some officers of the Corporation
 Their worth I must here mark,
And the first gentleman I wish to praise
 Is Mr. McGoveran, the Town Clerk.

Mr. Shea, as Treasurer,
 A greater man you couldn’t find;
He is always cheerful, homely,
 So courteous and so kind.

If you’ve your yards and houses clean,
 Your pots, pans, and tables shinin’
There’s no nicer chap in the world today
 Than Town Sergeant “Dannie” Finan.

Let the bon-fires blaze next Friday night,
 And to your band go every player,
For this Home Rule Year we mean to have
 Alderman Jinks as our Mayor!

John Gillan celebrated the results of the 1914 Sligo Corporation elections which resulted in a labour majority on that body and he looked forward to the election of John Jinks as Mayor. Jinks, with the support of the labour members, did become mayor. for 1914 The previous mayor, Jink's political adversary Daniel O'Donnell, had been ill during the latter part of 1913 and died in early 1914. Gillan provided a suitable lengthy, detailed account of the funeral.

There were no contested elections for the vacancies on Sligo Corporation in January 1914. "The majority of newly elected members were put forward by the Trades Council and the local branch of the Transport Union so that the Council is now principally composed of Labour representatives", said the Sligo Champion. When Gillan deals with this he naturally gives prominence to the newly-elected Councillor Bernard McTernan, who was the owner of the Sligo Nationalist.

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