‘Lord’s Prayer’ will continue at Mayo County Council

Cathaoirleach Burke will continue to start meetings with prayer


Anton McNulty

The recital of the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ is a tradition that will continue in Mayo County Council according to the newly-elected Cathaoirleach, Cllr Michael Burke. The commitment was made in the wake of his Roscommon counterpart’s refusal to say the prayer before a meeting.
Last week, the newly-elected Mayor of Roscommon County Council, Cllr Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan got his first meeting off to a controversial start when he refused to recite the traditional prayer before the start of the meeting. Cllr Flanagan had asked the meeting administrator to do the honours – a move that enraged some councillors, who accused him of being disrespectful.
Cllr Flanagan argued that as an agnostic he would be a hypocrite if he did say the prayer. After a bitter argument, it was eventually agreed that the vice-chairman, Cllr Ernie Keenan, would lead the prayer.
According to Cllr Burke, the majority of county councils in the country start their meetings with a prayer. Although he accepted that the Roscommon debate raised questions about whether such traditions have a place in modern Ireland, he told The Mayo News that reciting a prayer before meetings would continue in Mayo.
“It is a tradition that should be kept,” said Cllr Burke. “It has been there a long time, and I have no problem with it, and I don’t know any councillor who has a problem with it.
“Nobody has ever raised the issue [with me], and I may be subject to correction but I think this is the first time the issue had been raised.”
Cllr Burke did agree the if Cllr Flanagan believed he would be a hypocrite by saying a prayer he was right not to do so.