Homecoming: Coughlan greeted by thousands of well-wishers in Donegal heartland
TÁNAISTE MARY Coughlan last night returned in triumph to her Donegal South West constituency, cheered by thousands of supporters.
They carried her shoulder-high across the county border from Leitrim into Donegal when she stepped from her State car at the Drowes River just south of Bundoran.
The celebration party had less than 50km to travel to a massive celebration party at the Milltown Bar in Inver, where several pictures of her adorn the walls. The pub is a short distance from her home in the nearby village of Frosses, but it took several hours for her to complete the 45-minute journey.
The party continued into the early hours of this morning.
Thousands poured on to the streets in Bundoran, Ballyshannon, Ballintra, Laghey and Donegal town as victory rallies were held in each before the Tánaiste, who is also Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, reached her destination.
Ms Coughlan, who was accompanied by her husband David Charlton and children Cathal and Maeve, was met at the county boundary by constituency colleague and Minister of State for Health Promotion and Food Safety Pat the Cope Gallagher, the chairman of Bundoran Town Council Billy Mulhern and chairman of Ballyshannon Town Council Eunan Doyle.
Tributes were paid to her along the route as local councillors, business leaders and people of all walks of life vied to shake her hand. Several speakers recalled her deep political roots and how she entered the Dáil at the age of 22, following the death of her father Cathal who was a TD from 1983 to 1986 and who succeeded her uncle Clement, a TD from 1980 to 1983 before his death in an accident.
There were warm welcoming words even from local Fine Gael diehards, whose close personal friendship with Ms Coughlan is embedded in the political roots of her mother Marian’s family.
The Tánaiste, a poll topper in the general election, thanked her supporters and told how humbled she was by the honour bestowed on her and on Donegal. She spoke of the task ahead to maintain competitiveness in the economy, create employment opportunities and improve the conditions conducive to investment.
She acknowledged that her new post will mean huge expectations with regard to jobs in the north-west.
She pledged: “I’ll be doing my best for the people of the northwest, particularly my own county.” She is the first politician to cross the Shannon as Tánaiste since Sligo man Ray MacSharry’s appointment in 1982.