This article is from page 6 of the 2012-01-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
AN assault on a taxi driver in Ennis was “blown out of the water” by the media, according to the Mayor of Ennis.
Independent Councillor Michael Guilfoyle was speaking at the January meeting of Ennis Town Council as members rejected the image of Ennis as a racist town.
Cllr Guilfoyle was commenting after a man received a prison sentence for an assault on Nigerian taxi driver Batholomew Omoifo in Ennis in June 2010.
Ennis District Court heard that Mr Omoifo suffered € 2,400 worth of damage to his teeth as a result of the assault.
Cllr Guilfoyle (Ind) told last week’s meeting that many people had been assaulted in Ennis over the years. In relation to the assault on Mr Omoifo, Cllr Guilfoyle said that when the “media got it, it turned out a lot worse than it was”.
He added, “The media have a habit of blowing things out of the water.”
He said Ennis had been portrayed as a racist town and “we’re not that type of town”.
The matter was raised by Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) who said he rejected out of hand the assertion that Ennis is a racist town.
He said, “Ennis is as open and tolerant a town as I have come across.”
Cllr Meaney said that Mr Omoifo had said he was subjected to daily racist abuse in Ennis. Cllr Meaney said he did not accept this statement, saying that he would like the taxi driver to speak at a council meeting.
He added, “I would like an opportunity to correct a media record that is starting to develop that is injurious to the image of this town.”
Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said Ennis is one of the friendliest towns in Ireland, pointing to the electoral success of Taiwo Matthew and Dr Moosajee Bhamjee as proof that racist attitudes are not widespread in Ennis.
Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) told the meeting that he had listened to an interview with Mr Omoifo on Clare FM. He said that Mr Omoifo had praised the town of Ennis and the people of Ennis.
“It’s not all one-sided,” he added.