County councillors remain under pressure after a fraught fortnight which has thrown up some strange alliances and winners. Fine Gael's Joe Doyle became Lord Mayor of Dublin with the support of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Tony Gregory; Fine Gael's Cathal Boland got the chair of Fingal with Fianna Fail support; Fine Gael's Angela Lupton is again Mayor of Galway with Fianna Fail support and Democratic Left's Mick Billane had his name pulled from a hat for the chair of South Dublin Co Council when he drew with Progressive Democrats' Cait Keane.
A major row, however, is brewing in Limerick, where the county council will elect a chairman on Monday night. Favourite is Fine Gael Senator Mary Jackman, the recent by-election candidate, who hopes to be the first woman to hold the position. She is believed to have 14 of the 28 councillors on board - 10 Fine Gaelers, three PDs and one Labour.
But her FG colleague, David Naughton, also wants the chair, and hopes to run against her with support from 11 Fianna Failers and some Independents. It could end up 13/13 with the hat being called into play again. Word has it that FG headquarters in Dublin are not best pleased and whatever the outcome, an investigation of events in Limerick county is pending.