PROMOTION of the Irish language and stopping a pig farm being built next to Derrylin are the achievements that Cllr Chris McCaffrey is proud of.
The former Vice-Chairman of Fermanagh & Omagh District Council – who at 25 was the youngest to serve in that role – announced that he would not be seeking re-election when May’s local elections come round.
Cllr McCaffrey has stated he will not be giving up politics for good but will be looking to explore new challenges.
During his four years, promotion of the Irish language has been an issue close to Cllr McCaffrey’s heart.
He said: “My promotion of the Irish language is something that I’m very proud of. We did get a policy put through the Council of bilingual signage.
“That was accepted by Council after some challenges. There were some legal challenges from unionists at the time so, sadly, it was a really difficult issue to get past.
“However we did see a softening of opposition by the UUP in particular. I think it has had a positive influence on how the Irish language is seen.
“I am a proud Irish citizen, and I will continue to work and campaign for Irish unity which I care passionately about, for the promotion of the Irish language and culture and for equal rights and inclusion for all.
“I would encourage more people to get involved in politics, both young and old, to make their voices heard on issues they care about and to get involved in their communities, and to be proud of where we come from and of our Irish language.”
Another feature of Cllr McCaffrey’s term of office was his involvement in preventing controversial plans for a pig farm to be set up next to Derrylin.
He added: “In Derrylin, probably the biggest thing I was involved in was in regard to the massive industrial pig farm that was going through a planning application.
“With over 800 objectors and with a local committee, I did lead the campaign that prevented that public health risk from happening to the village. Where the site was, it was completely inappropriate.
“It would have been right above the village and been directly hazardous to people within the area.
“Some of the things that I’m proud of include doing a lot of work for various charities such as the USPCA where we raised a lot of awareness around animal cruelty. I was also heavily involved with the FIND Centre in Enniskillen.
“One of the things that I had a direct influence on was during the Covid-19 pandemic – especially when the first outbreak took place – was when PPE was very scarce. I was responsible for the release of PPE from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. This was then sent directly to our hospital staff in the Western Trust.”
Cllr McCaffrey also thanked those who have supported him during his four years on the Council.
He continued: “While politics and public life is not without its challenges, these have been a truly wonderful 4 years. I am privileged to have been trusted enough to represent my local area, where I grew up in, and to have been in the position to help other people. I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of the people and I want to express my deep gratitude to you all.
“I am not closing the door on politics, this is something I would like to do again if I am lucky enough to be afforded the opportunity.”
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