Councillors clash over decision to stage Women’s Mini Marathon in Ballina

THE location for the West of Ireland Women’s Mini Marathon became the subject of controversy after a councillor from the Castlebar Municipal District area called for the event to return to Castlebar.

Cllr Donna Sheridan suggested that the decision to stage this year’s event in Ballina was influenced by two Ballina councillors being members of the board of the Mayo Sports Partnership.

In February, the Mayo Sports Partnership board voted to host the event in Ballina again in 2024.

The mini-marathon was hosted in Ballina last year as part of the Ballina 300 celebrations – the first time the event took place outside of Castlebar.

Cllr Sheridan said she had ‘no issue’ with Ballina hosting the event last year but argued that it should return to Castlebar.

“We are the county town. We hosted the event here since 2010. My understanding was that it was going to Ballina for one year,” the Fine Gael councillor said.

Cllr Sheridan also bemoaned the fact that Mayo Day had been ‘lost’ to Castlebar as well.

Last year’s Mayo Day also took place in Ballina and is due to be hosted in Belmullet on May 4.

“We cannot continue like this,” she added. “I have no issue with Ballina having anything, but you cannot develop a marathon in Castlebar over that number of years since 2010, and Mayo Day, and they are just gone like that. And there is no consultation with the Castlebar councillors.”

Cllr Michael Loftus, Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, said the decision to host the event in Ballina for a second year was a unanimous decision of the Mayo Sports Partnership board.

Cllr Loftus, who is also Chairman of the Mayo Sports Partnership, said that Mayo County Council had no say in the decision.

The Fianna Fáil councillor said a drop in participation formed part of the reason for moving the event to Ballina.

“The last [mini-] marathon that was in Castlebar, 910 people were at it. In the Ballina one…there was actually 2,400 adults and 800 children. So far this year there’s been 900 has actually applied,” he said.

Cllr Loftus said it was also felt that there was ‘no reason’ why other municipal districts should not be allowed to host the event.

Cllr Sheridan drew the ire of Cllr Mark Duffy (Independent) and Cllr Loftus after she noted that Cllrs Duffy and Loftus were both members of the Mayo Sports Partnership board.

Cllr Loftus called on her to retract the suggestion that the board’s decision was swayed by him and Cllr Duffy both representing Ballina Municipal District.

He also noted that Cllr Duffy was not present at the meeting where the decision to stage the mini-marathon in Ballina was taken.

Cllr Duffy accused Cllr Sheridan of being ‘disingenuous’ with her remarks.

“What you inferred, Donna, was that I voted for it. The board decided. It was a unanimous decision by the board, and don’t question the board,” Cllr Loftus said.

Cllr Sheridan hit back, claiming that the elected representatives were being ‘completely ignored’ by the decision.

Westport-based Fianna Fáil councillor Brendan Mulroy, who chaired the Mayo Sports Partnership for five years, defended the board’s decision to move the event to Ballina.

Cllr Mulroy insisted that any decision regarding the host location for the event was ‘led by the board’ rather than individual councillors.

“The idea that it’s the county town, and it should be held in Castlebar, that day is gone,” Cllr Mulroy added.

All four of Mayo’s municipal districts have been invited to apply to host the event in 2025.

Cllr Sheridan said it was ‘a ridiculous waste of time’ to ask municipal districts to apply for funding to host the event if the council was already funding Mayo Sports Partnership.

Cllr Loftus said that Mayo Sports Partnership receives ‘very little funding’ from Mayo County Council except from sponsorship from Mayo.ie.

Mayo Sports Partnership recently received €425,393 in government funding.

Cllr Sheridan said the elected members of Mayo County Council should decide the location of the Women’s Mini Marathon in future.

This year’s West of Ireland Women’s Mini Marathon will take place in Ballina on the Bank Holiday Sunday on May 5.

All proceeds will go towards the Cancer Fund for Children. The charity is currently constructing a Daisy Lodge in Cong which will provide respite for children with cancer and their families. 

ENDS