Mayor slams GAA over ‘arrogance’

Mayor lashes out at GAA over ‘Johnny Come Lately’ comments


Anton McNulty

THE Mayor of Castlebar has lashed out at the ‘arrogance’ of the Mayo GAA executive after the County Secretary claimed in his annual report that the residents of McHale Road who were objecting to the McHale Park development were ‘Johnny Come Latelys’.
In his annual report to the Mayo GAA convention held last night, county secretary SeΡn Feeney said the objections over the TV tower by some residents of McHale Road had slowed down the completion of the McHale Road part of the project, but the majority of residents did not approve of the ‘antics of a few’.
“The project will be completed once all the processes have been completed. I know for a fact that over 50 per cent of the McHale Road residents are not against the project and do not approve of the antics of a few. The GAA have long been residents of McHale Road, much longer than the ‘Johnny come latelys’ who now oppose the project,” he said.
Mr Feeney also added that they have ‘to tolerate Mag and Wag, our two vociferous local councillors, who are no friends of the GAA’. At last week’s meeting of Castlebar Town Council, Cllr Michael Kilcoyne, Mayor of Castlebar said he presumed that ‘Mag and Wag’ referred to him and Cllr Frank Durcan - who both called for the planning permission of the project to be revoked because the work carried out on the TV tower does not comply with the planning conditions.
Cllr Kilcoyne hit out at what he described as the ‘sheer arrogance’ of the comments and said the GAA should be apologising to the McHale Road residents instead of condemning them.
“I was disappointed with the attitude but it is not surprising, they feel they are above the law but they are not. I don’t mind what they call me. I will defend people anytime against organisations who break the law. They have broken the planning laws and instead of apologising to the McHale Road residents, he condemns the people of the McHale Road.
“To say that about the people is to show they have no regard for them and that is why I support the motion and feel they shouldn’t get permission. I can’t believe the sheer arrogance of some people. We all make mistakes but the first thing you do is to keep quiet and I find this quite unbelievable,” he said.
The matter has been referred to An Bord PleanΡla and the residents of McHale Road have retained the services of Peter Sweetman and Associates who are preparing a report for the appeal.
The Town Manager, Seamus Granahan said the planning application was still active and he would not comment until the final decision has been made. Cllr Durcan’s motion for the Council to revoke planning permission was defeated by five votes to two, with Cllr Brendan Henaghan and Cllr Blackie Gavin abstaining.