This article is from page 16 of the 2008-04-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
THE SILVER key and citation which were given to one of Kilrush’s most respected citizens for service to the people are to be handed back to the council.
With the sad demise of Maura Na- gle, daughter of long serving town council member, Tom Nagle, Coun- cillor Tom Prendeville (FF) said the family had approached him to or- ganise the return of the key and cita- tion “for safe keeping and they ask only that the items be put on public display beside his photograph in the council chamber as a reminder of the civic-minded spirit of the man from Moore Street.”
Cllr Prendeville proposed that the council express it’s appreciation of the gesture to the family.
Paying tribute to the late town councillor, Cllr Prendeville said that Cllr Nagle, whose family carried on a bakery in Moore Street for many generations, entered public life as war clouds gathered over Europe in 1914. As a representative of the La- bour Party, he secured 452 first pref- AES CC O) ony
In November 1916, Tom Nagle along with Cllr Thomas Ryan were appointed delegates to an All-Ireland convention for the establishment of a Political Prisoners Amnesty As- sociation.
The town council was dissolved in May 1924 following “a sworn inquiry into the financial affairs
of local bodies in the county’, Cllr Prendeville said.
Cllr Nagle was in public life when members of Clare County Council were appointed to administer the af- fairs of the town during this period. One of their decisions was to buy the Town Hall for £275 and the Bridewell for £100.
The late Labour councillor became first citizen in 1930 on the proposal of Cllr Michael McMahon and he lost the chairmanship to the same Cllr McMahon in 1935.
Tom Nagle again became chair- man in 1941, a distinction which he repeated in 1945.
“After 31 years of glorious service to his town, Tom bowed out of public life in 1945,” Cllr Prendeville said.
Independent Cllr Jack Fennel said he remembers Cllr Nagle, who was personally known to his father.
‘He was a gentleman and a fine man. His bracks were famous – they would feed a family of 15.”
Cllr Prendeville explained that with the sad demise of Maura Nagle, the direct family line was no more and members of the Black family were now offering the key and the citation back to the council
Mayor Tom Clyne (Ind) said it was a “lovely gesture” on behalf of the family to hand the memorabilia pee
It was agreed that the family would be invited in to the council’s May meeting for the handover to take jo eleren