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NEWS
Dungarvan Observer | Friday, 23 May, 2014
Historic meeting marks the end of Town Council FROM FRONT PAGE While Mayor Wright acknowledged it was the “end of the road for Dungarvan Town Council”, she said the final meeting was not the occasion for airing the rights and wrongs of the decision to abolish this tier of local government. “For my part, I am proud of the role the Council has played during my years of service,” said Mayor Wright. The Mayor writes herself into the history books, as she was the first Councillor to hold the title of ‘Mayor’ on Dungarvan Town Council when it changed from Cathaoirleach, and she will be the last Mayor of the town. “I am glad to have been Cathaoirleach of the Council; to have been the first Mayor of Dungarvan in centuries and am sad to also be the last, chairing the last meeting of this body this evening,” she said. Mayor Wright spoke about the history of Dungarvan Town Council in its various forms since 1899 and said she was delighted to look back over the Council record with justifiable pride and dwell on its many achievements. “I am especially proud of what has been achieved in the years in which I have been a member, and honoured to have been a part of that work,” said Mayor Wright. “I am proud to acknowledge in public, the work which our predecessors, members, officials and employees have done and pay tribute to the foundations they have laid and on which our successors will build. “It has been an honour to be a member of the Town Council. I have been privileged to have had the support of the citizens of the town to send me to this Chamber. We can leave here with a sense that we did our duty to the best of our abilities and I for one am fulfilled by that.” Mayor Wright challenged young people to become involved in the political system and urged people to get out and cast their vote on Friday. She paid tribute to her Council colleagues who worked with her over the years and to the officials for their support. She also paid tribute to the media, who have reported on the meetings of Dungarvan Town Council for many years. Cllr. Damien Geoghegan (FG) said the abolition of Dungarvan Town Council was “a regressive step”.
An historic occasion - the final meeting of Dungarvan Town Council, Monday, 19th May, 2014. Pictured front row, left to right: Cllr. Ann Marie Rossiter (FF); Mayor Teresa Wright (Lab); Michael Quinn, Town Manager; Cllr. Nicky Sheehan (Lab). Back row, left to right: David Campion, Town Engineer; Cllr. Brendan Mansfield (SF); Cllr. Damien Geoghegan (FG); Independent Councillor, Dr. Tom Higgins; Cllr. Micheál Cosgrove (FG); and Anna Landers, Acting Town Clerk.
“The tier of government closest to the people is being removed,” Cllr. Geoghegan said. “It was tried in other countries before and it didn’t work. Dungarvan Town Council was very much in tune with what the people wanted,” he said. Cllr. Geoghegan said he was proud to serve on the Town Council and hold the Mayorship. “Some of our best work took place in this Chamber.” He wished his colleagues well in their retirement, or re-election bids, and paid tribute to everyone who sat in the Chamber over the years. “They made a great contribution to the town,” he added. Cllr. Micheál Cosgrove (FG) said the members of the Town Council worked very well together, despite being from different political parties. “We overcame problems to make Dungarvan and Abbeyside a better place to live. I hope we leave Dungarvan and Abbeyside a better place as we come to
the end,” said Cllr. Cosgrove. Independent Councillor Dr. Tom Higgins expressed thanks to his colleagues and to the Fine Gael party for allowing him the chance to hold the Mayorship of the town. Dr. Higgins noted that the way the Town Council operated was very different to the way the County Council operated. “I came in here with an attitude from the County Council, expecting to tear strips off each other, then I realised it was peace and harmony on the Town Council,” he said. Dr. Higgins noted a lot of important work took place in Dungarvan in the past five years, including the Smarter Travel project. “The project will transform Dungarvan to greater effect,” he said. “The town twinning was good for the town and we got a new community hospital in the last few years - all this really improved the town,” Dr. Higgins added. Cllr. Brendan Mansfield (SF) said political differences were put aside in the
Town Council, which can be seen in the way the town changed for the better. “It is also a testament to the officials,” said Cllr. Mansfield. He was the first Sinn Féin Councillor elected to the Council since the 1920s and the youngest member of the Council - “a fact that both my family and I are proud of ”, he said. He urged those who got re-elected to “deliver for the town of Dungarvan and leave the parish pumps and pot holes at home”. Cllr. Mansfield also noted that it will be the first time in 34 years that there won’t be an Abbeyside native representing the village on the Council. He said that while he will retire from the Council, he will remain active for the Sinn Féin party. He acknowledged three former Councillors whom he worked with in the past and paid tribute to them the late Cllr. Michael O’Riordan; former Cllr. Nuala Ryan; and former Cllr. Fiachra Ó Ceilleachair.
Cllr. Mansfield also thanked his voters and those who worked on his previous campaigns, including the canvassers - “they are the people who deserve the real credit”, he said. Cllr. Nicky Sheehan (Lab) described it as “an honour” to have served on the Town Council with each of his colleagues. “You have all been wonderful public representatives and done Dungarvan proud over the last 12 months,” said Cllr. Sheehan. He said it was a sad occasion that Cllr. Billy Kyne could not be present at the final meeting of the
Council, due to illness. “He served the town well for many years, and his father before him,” noted Cllr. Sheehan. He also paid tribute to the Council staff and officials. Cllr. Ann Marie Rossiter (FF) noted that politics was left at the door when the Town Council met. “It is a sad day for the town, because the Town Council is gone. People are only realising now what impact that will have,” said Cllr. Rossiter. Town Manager, Michael Quinn, concurred that it was a sad day for the
Council and people of Dungarvan. He paid tribute to the previous Town Managers and the Councillors. “We made a good team collectively,” said Mr. Quinn. Cllr. Geoghegan also paid tribute to Tom Keith, describing him as “a fantastic ambassador” for Dungarvan. “He was always closely associated with Dungarvan Town Council and it is important we remember his contribution. He was thought of as the tenth Councillor!” Cllr. Geoghegan added.
Watching the final meeting of Dungarvan Town Council from the Public Gallery were, left to right: Pat Geoghegan; Michael Rossiter; Breda Rossiter; and Adam Houlihan.