Sinn Fein select Conor Heaney to be co-opted on to Derry City and Strabane District Council

Sinn Fein have selected Conor Heaney to replace the outgoing Foyleside councillor Mickey Cooper on Derry City and Strabane District Council. 

Mr Heaney was selected by party members last night to be co-opted on to the council.

He previously ran for election to the council in the Faughan ward in the 2019 local government elections but was unsuccessful.

Speaking after his selection last night, Mr Heaney thanked his predecessor and all those who had supported him. 

“I want to pay tribute to the fantastic work that Mickey Cooper has done in this area,” he said.

“I look forward to picking up where he left off safe in the knowledge that he will still be very much part of the Sinn Féin project in Derry. 

“I also want to thank Sinn Féin for giving me this opportunity and all those who supported me. It is an honour to represent this area and this party.” 

Mr Heaney, who is a qualified social worker and previously worked as an adviser to a number of Sinn Fein ministers at Stormont, spoke about his priorities.

“Creating jobs and opportunities in Derry has always been central to my work,” he said.

“As an advisor in the Agriculture Department, I worked closely on the successful project to decentralise an entire government department out of Belfast and into Ballykelly, just outside Derry. Nothing on that scale had ever been attempted before let alone achieved.

“While working with Martin McGuinness, we were determined to deliver on key strategic projects for Derry such as the A6 road, Ebrington and the NW Transport Hub so it is great to see all of them now coming to fruition.”