Kildare politicians pay tribute to Spike Nolan

BOTH of the senior politicians from Newbridge coalesced this week in a touching joint tribute to their recently departed friend Micheál ‘Spike’ Nolan (53) who died unexpectedly last week.

Minister Martin Heydon and Senator Fiona O’Loughlin both spoke with the Kildare Nationalist on each of their long personal relationships with the late two-time Mayor of Kildare.

Minister Heydon gave some background to Spike’s political history, and told how he had been co-opted onto both the now defunct Newbridge Town Council, and Kildare County Council in 2007 following his father’s 40 year’s of political service on both bodies when he was just 36.

“He was a plumber and a bus driver, but he’d do any job to provide for his family,” said Minister Heydon.

“They lived in Ballymanny Manor but the home place was College Park where the matriarch Ursula lives, oh, she was dyed-in-the-wool Fine Gael,” smiled the FG rep for Kildare South.

“He was re-elected in 2009, and served as Mayor of Kildare for two terms between 2012 and 2014, and is still the only person to have done this. Then he was just pipped for re-election in 2014,” said Martin.

“The size of his funeral will attest to how much Spike Nolan did for Newbridge, particularly around housing for people.

“He was someone who was really respected.

“For Deirdre, and the kids – Rebecca, Tadhg and Jack – he was a fiercely dedicated father, idolized his kids and was a great family man.

“Spike Nolan was not just a colleague, but a very good friend.

“His work rate was second to none, and his work for Newbridge was reflected in the turnout at the wake and funeral.

“He even continued to serve on the Board of Management at the Patrician National School long after his three were gone, and as testament, the school provided a Guard of Honor on both sides of the bridge for the funeral.

“His death was a huge shock, and he’ll be sorely missed.

“I want to offer huge condolences to his family, his mother Ursula, and his mother in law Cissy.

“He was an absolute gent. He was a good man,” said Minister Heydon.

Senator O’Loughlin was not long replying to our request for some personal testimony, and despite their political differences, it was almost more effusive.

“Spike was not just a political colleague, we were buddys, and we had political allegiances across the political divide,” she said.

There have been rumours in the town that Spike was going to canvas for Fiona in the next General Election such was their friendship, but unsurprisingly, the Senator would neither confirm nor deny this. 

“We knew each other all our lives, since our fathers were on the council at the same time,” she said.

“We are very, very sad in Newbridge,” she concluded.