This article is from page 2 of the 2007-04-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
SHANNON ‘Town Council has been urged to mark the 1916 Rising, fol- lowing commemorations in Ennis, Killaloe and Kilrush over the week- end.
All but one of the town’s councillors agreed at their meeting last Tuesday that the event should be recognised.
Shannon resident Sean O Nuanain raised the issue in a letter to the Town Clerk, Tomas MacCormaic, last week.
Mr O Nuanain, who is involved in various groups in the town and is the current Cathaoirleach of Club na Sionna, pointed out that there was no
annual event to mark 1916 in Shan- non, in contrast to most towns in Ire- land.
“IT would request Shannon Town Council to consider initiating such a ceremony, sooner or later,” he said in the letter.
The Mayor of Shannon, Cllr Tony McMahon (Lab) said he believed the town should acknowledge the com- memoration each year.
A number of other councillors agreed with this view. However Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said she didn’t agree that the event should be commemorated every year in Shan- non.
“I don’t have any difficulty in com-
memorating events from 1916 in ar- eas where events happened… This needs a lot more thought than just agreeing to do it,” she said.
Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) said, “It is very important we recognise the Easter Rising. I don’t think there would be anyone sitting around the table if it wasn’t for the struggle in years gone by.”
Cllr Sean Hillery (FF) said the re- quest by Mr O Nuanain should be sent to Clare County Council for consideration. Cllr Mike McKee (Ind) disagreed with this, saying it was the town council that was asked to mark the event.
Cllr Sean McLoughlin (FG) said
something should be done to mark the commemoration, but that “time is against us”.
Shannon Town Clerk Tomas Mac- Cormaic said if an event was to take place, it would need “dignity”.
“It would be very disappointing if there were five or six councillors out there and a flag being raised,” he SrHKGe
Cllr McCarthy criticised her fel- low councillors after some of them said the event should be marked over Easter when the rising took place on April 24.
The councillors agreed to meet this week, when the possibility of mark- ing the event would be discussed.