SHE was Fermanagh District Council’s only chairwoman, but the honour was short-lived.

Three months into her chairmanship Geraldine Cassidy suffered a life-threatening ruptured brain aneurism at home which ultimately ended her promising political career.

The Irvinestown woman had to undergo two lifesaving operations within 12 days of each other and spent time in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, slipping in and out of consciousness.

“I remember afterwards, going to the Townhall to hand in the chain of office with a bandana around my head because my hair had to be shaved for the operations,” she says.

Geraldine had collapsed at home holding her six-week old grand-daughter.

“I hadn’t felt well for a while before,” she recalls, “I had headaches and was forgetful. But I put it down to stress of the extra work.

“In February 2001 I took the chair and in April I collapsed.

“It was a lonely time,” says Geraldine, “I knew I was seriously ill and that I could die. I kept worrying if I had hurt my grand-daughter.” After her operations, Geraldine’s brain struggled to make the connections necessary for simple things like buttoning a cardigan.

And she couldn’t read.

“That was what nearly killed me – although I shouldn’t really say that since those doctors saved my life not once but twice.

“But I love reading. When I looked at a page, it just looked as if it was painted black.

“Five to six months later I remember looking at a newspaper one day and actually being able to read the headlines. Gradually, I was able to read again. I thought,: ‘Yes! I have won the lottery!”.

Rather than feeling bitter about being forced to bow out of politics and wonder ‘what could have been’, Geraldine says she is grateful every day to be alive.

“Those doctors up there are miracle workers,” she insists, “They saved my life twice. I pray for them every day – I feel indebted to them, and I always will.” And although she only held the role of Fermanagh’s chairwoman for three short months, she insists she has so many fond memories of that time.

“I loved my duties as chair – it was fantastic.

“As a councillor you have a bit of clout, but I felt as a chair, I could really help those who were disadvantaged. And I hope I did, even for those three months.” By contrast though, the night that she was elected to the role of Fermanagh’s highest officer in Enniskillen’s Townhall, is a very different story, “I felt very privileged,” she says, “And I still do, to be the only chairwoman.

“But the night I was elected to chairmanship was one of the most difficult experiences during my time as a councillor.

“I had served as a councillor for almost four years when I was elected that night in the chamber.

“I was there for our constituents – regardless of our politics.

“I was also chair for planning for almost a year at that stage too.

“But when my party colleagues nominated me to go for the chair, well, the barrage of abuse I suffered that night was horrendous.

“It was out and out sectarianism.

“I thought, this is us making history here, we have just elected our first female chair, we should be celebrating this.

“But instead I was asking these grown men who should have known better to stop abusing me or the meeting would have to end.” Reflecting on the night, Geraldine says she believes her political opponents had chosen “sectarianism over being seen to be anti-female”.

“They didn’t want to come across as being against women,” she adds.

And Geraldine insists that after that night, the abuse continued.

“When you were chairing a meeting, they would try to pretend that you weren’t there.

“And when you brought the gavel down on them, you could hear them whisper: ‘who does she think she is?’.

“You know, they couldn’t believe a woman would be telling a man what to do!

“I suffered none of that until I became chairwoman.” Geraldine says on one occasion, her post, delivered to Townhall, had been stolen.

“I fell ill and we were never able to pursue that, but it still annoys me to this day,” she says.

Despite her experience though, she pays to one Unionist in particular who extended the hand of kindness to her on more than one occasion.

“When I fell ill, Raymond Ferguson always asked after me – always.

“And I remember chairing one meeting that was particularly bad. At the end of it he said: ‘I never want to see that taking place again in this chamber against a chair’.

“Things were so backward when I was there.

“I hope in the new council I know that things will be better.

“It will be strange to have no council in our own county, but things are moving forward and our councillors will have more power.” In February this year Geraldine underwent a third brain operation in the Royal.

“Technology has moved on so much in those 14 years – this time it was done through the groin,” she explains.

But of course the risk of complications were no less severe on this occasion, and again, she is grateful to be alive.

“It is a big regret of mine, that I was only able to fulfil my duty for three months. But what is most important is that I am still here.

“And even for a short time, I know I held that title, and I held my head high.”