Former Limerick detective plots return to frontline politics

FORMER Limerick councillor and detective garda Sean Lynch is plotting a return to politics.

Mr Lynch, a front-line officer in the Roxboro district for almost 30 years, and the father of All-Star hurler Cian Lynch, has confirmed he has “taken soundings” about bidding to make a return to the council at next summer’s local election.

It comes almost five years after the Patrickswell resident lost his seat in City West.

“There is an issue with law and order. Why would you not put someone in who has policed City West for the last 30 years and brought Limerick from a bad place?” he asked.

Mr Lynch worked as a detective during the peak of the feud between the McCarthy/Dundon and Keane/Collopy gangs in the 2000s. The Leader understands Mr Lynch, a former metropolitan mayor and chair of the Joint Policing Committee, sought a nomination from Fianna Fáil, the party he was elected with in 2014.

But he did not secure the number of signatories required to go forward to the party’s election selection convention which took take place on Tuesday evening in the South Court Hotel.

It’s understood he will approach Fianna Fáil’s national constituencies council, which will sign off on who the party runs in the local election next year.

If he is not successful in his bid, he has not ruled out looking at other options. “I have been approached by a number of people who want me to go forward,” he said. “I am as passionate now as I was before. I am up for the challenge.”

He said, if elected, he would like to put a focus on climate change, saying we are in “unprecedented times” and the “next local elections are very important.”

Meanwhile, metropolitan district leader, councillor Azad Talukder is expected to be added to the Fianna Fáil election ticket for City West in the coming weeks. It comes after he apologised over comments he made suggesting the perpetrator of the recent stabbings in Dublin should be “shot in the head”.

Limerick councillor says controversial remarks were misinterpreted following backlash

Just one person - Patrickswell woman Esther Aherne - was selected at Tuesday night's convention with the party nationally deciding who else will go forward.