This article is from page 73 of the 2009-05-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 73 JPG
THE baby of local authorities in Clare, Shannon Town Council is just 27 years old.
As Ireland’s only created town and the second largest town in the coun- ty, Shannon received town status on January 1, 1982 when Minister for the Environment Peter Barry signed Shannon Town Commission into be- ing.
Prior to its statutory status, a group called Shannon Alliance represented the concerns of the residents of the fledgling town in negotiations with Shannon Development and Clare County Council.
This Alliance group was made up of two representatives from political parties including Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin. These representatives were nominated by their respective political parties.
On December 19, 1980 26 house- holders signed an application to have statutory town commission status granted to the town.
Then county manager Joe Boland, on the bequest of the then Environ- ment Minister Ray McSharry, con- vened a public meeting of the elec- torate of Shannon on April 10, 1981. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the implications of Shannon being granted town status and to out- line the proposed boundaries of the OD e0r
The boundaries excluded the air- port, the Industrial Estate and Smith- stown Industrial Service Area. Fol- lowing numerous and _ protracted negotiations, the Smithstown In-
dustrial Service Area was included within the proposed Shannon Town boundaries.
A poll for the consent of the elec- torate of Shannon to have town sta- tus conferred on the town was held on October 21, 1981. The majority favoured the application.
Shannon’s first town clerk Tomas MacCormaic was appointed on March 4, 1982 to a position he re- tains to this day. Just one week af- ter Mr MacCormaic was employed the first election for Shannon Town Sree OMI eRe lor
There were 26 candidates in that first election and of the nine elected just one remains a member of the council today — Cllr Patricia McCa- MN OWs
While some things have remained constant for the local authority in Shannon there have also been sig- nificant changes, not least its change from Shannon Town Commission to Shannon Town Council under the Mere eounilolmatae
Within the last year changes have also been made that will have a major affect on the upcoming town council elections. On January 1, 1,000 more people became part of the electorate as the boundary was extended from 1,105 hectares to 1,274 hectares.
As well as implications for the elec- tions and increased election quota, the extended town area will also have a huge affect on the local budget.
Last year, in its application to have the boundary extended, Shannon Town Council, supported by Clare County Council, stated that the ex- tension to the existing town was logi- cal given that the residents of the area strongly identified with the town.
The extension means that approxi- mately 350 residential homes and 20 commercial businesses are now add- ed to the town as the boundary has
been extended to include Ballycasey -ViCemoy-Varseeleumectea 0p
Despite its extension Shannon Town Council still does not have the same powers as Ennis and Kilrush town councils.
Among the powers still retained by Clare County Council is that of plan-
ning and planning decisions.
For those involved in the ever in- creasing and developing town coun- cil it is hoped that this change 1s soon on the horizon.