In short, because I believe Limerick has been badly served by its current politics and politicians.  Limerick now needs to lead on changing the way local government works in Ireland to achieve its own true potential as the beating heart of a prosperous Mid-West region.

As many know already, I grew up in Limerick to parents who taught me above all the value of hard work and education and kindness to others.  Limerick has offered me opportunities that I would now like to put at the service of the people of the city and county.  Public service is the most rewarding career of all.

I've been lucky to work in many of the great cities of the world.  While I love being back home, sadly, I can see, even 40 years since I first emigrated from Limerick, that not everyone today has those opportunities even decades later and finding new ways to solve this motivates me greatly.  I also walk around our city centre and drive through our rural villages and towns and see untapped potential but way too much dereliction and poor public realm for 21st century Ireland which is after all now a rich country.  And do not start me on the state of our health system and the lack of housing.  

I have been vocal and make no apology for wanting better for Limerick and for all of its residents, old and new.  But I watch our existing politics fail to deliver. 

Back in 2019, I and others fought hard for the right for Limerick to have an executive directly elected mayor (DEM).  I want to see this reform through and see it deliver for Limerick. 

But to work, I believe we need to avoid traps caused by party politics.  Our Mayor has to work closely and in alignment with the council chamber, including to get the annual budget approved.  We cannot risk the gridlock and budget shutdowns we hear so much about from the US if we have a mayor of one political party and a council chamber controlled by one or two others.  Our Mayor when they lobby for what Limerick needs in Dublin, will have little chance of success if are from the party sitting in opposition across the Dail Chamber.  At the end of the day, potholes are not political!

Many of you, both friends and others I know less well, have asked and encouraged me to put my name forward to become Mayor.  I am humbled that you would think of me.   I know there are others who would also be able to do this challenging role well.  But I also know though that, through design and through accident, I have been accumulated a range of skills and experience that I, as a voter, would like to see in a candidate.  As a result, I am giving very serious consideration to how to make this work in an election.  It would be such a great honour to be Mayor of the place one loves and I believe I could really make a positive difference if given the chance. 

But I want also to understand better what you the other voters believe needs to be done.  I want therefore in the weeks ahead to interact with as many of you as possible to have conversations about what you believe our Mayor could and should do for Limerick, for you and your communities.  To see if you agree with me that an independent candidate should prevail and if you would be willing the help me try to be that candidate.    

Since coming back to Limerick in 2014, I have watched closely how things work or more accurately do not always work well enough. 

I do not believe divisive and partisan politics is the way to find solutions to the bigger challenges we face, like housing, and to understand where our common interest lies.  

I am therefore further committing myself to doing everything I can so that, whether I am a candidate or not, we use this very DEM election to improve how we do politics in Limerick.  It is why, I have proposed that the right starting point is that our executive Mayor needs to be free from and above party politics.

Quite simply, our problems are not political party ones, they are problems of everyday life. The things Limerick needs to improve must not be sacrificed on the altar at the Mayor’s political party HQ or refused because the Mayor is from the wrong party.

Having worked at the very heart of Irish government, I know this type of change will not be given to us easily.  Established parties expect that the office of Mayor “belongs” only to them as it has done for decades.  No one person can change that on their own.  We now need the same grass roots support for change we so successfully mobilised in 2019 when Limerick loudly demanded a new way.   Remember, only Limerick gets the historic chance to vote for its own Mayor this summer. 

Over the next few weeks, I hope to confirm that there is continuing widespread support for change and the view that Limerick is best served by a candidate independent of party politics.  If so, by the end of March, I will make a definitive decision and propose myself to you all as a candidate.     

I believe the future can be great if (i) we confidently reimagine what that future should look like, (ii) we engage openly and honestly with one another to agree on the steps to take, and (iii) we change the way we do politics to deliver a better future for all of our children and their children. And along the way, we can have some fun too.

You can help by supporting out campaign now.  CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN

Luimneach abu.