This article is from page 14 of the 2008-05-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
WITH the exception of one council- lor, there was overwhelming support for the scheme among Shannon town councillors last week.
Although most councillors said they were concerned that it may lead to horses racing along the road, the reaction to the project was mainly positive.
Councillor Patricia McCarthy said, however, that she had concerns and asked what other parts of the county were considered for such a scheme.
“T outlined previously I had seri- ous reservations about it. Since I have seen the location of the site, my concerns have grown. I do think that given the location of the land, there has got to be a public consultation so that the people of the town can have an impact,” she said.
Stressing that she was not “anti- Traveller’, she said, “It’s not a case of being anti the projects, but it’s a case of location, location.”
“T’m not afraid of public consulta- tion. What if other Travellers say they haven’t been consulted and they talk
about horses. We have had horses on the Ballymurtagh site. Last week I Saw five or six. The new road is ideal for sulky racing,’ she said.
“This will be one issue I will not stand by majority decision. There has to be public consultation,” she insisted.
“This is something that is going to impact on people’s lives here in Shannon. My concern and my real fear 1s location, location.
“Tm sure the council’s land bank extends further than Shannon,’ she added. She said that the problems
with the Tralee project “do not relate to inter-family rivals. The problems relate to control.”
The mayor of Shannon, Councillor Sean McLoughlin said he was “very worried about” sulky racing.
Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn, who is on the advisory com- mittee for this initiative, said he was fully supporting the project, but add- ed, “there has to be strict conditions attached to it.”
Labour Councillor Greg Duff said he would be afraid if there was con- sultation that people may not “ap-
preciate and understand the Travel- lers’ perspective on the needs to have Wenn
He said however he would have to ask how many horses were going to be put into the field.
Fianna Fail’s Geraldine Lambert acknowledged that Travellers have had a long tradition with horses.
“Id prefer to see them on designated land rather than on the halting site,” she said. She said that Councillor McCarthy “has a point, perhaps not public consultation, but public docu- mentation.”