Tony Burke fought to retain Market House identity
HIS colleagues could not be blamed for thinking that Ardee Commissioner Tony Burke was battling against heavy odds when requesting that the county council should incorporate the name ‘Market Square House’ in the property taken over for the building of a new library and civic complex.
The odds indeed must have lengthened when the County Manager, Mr. Quinlivan, was heard to exclaim at a Commissioner pre- Christmas meeting that “the Market House ain’t any more” (a reference to the fact that the original structure had been demolished).
But long-serving Tony refused to accept defeat. Understandable then that the Sliabh Breagh based former chairman should feel more than slightly chuffed when at the Ardee body’s most recent gettogether, the manager told him that his application was being met by the council.
The additional nameplate was on order and would indeed shortly be on its way.
“Good on you, Tony,” was the reaction of several members to this pronouncement. At previous meetings, Mr. Burke, who along with Mr. Val Kerr, Irish Street, has been a sitting member of the Commissioners since 1954, made the point that he was making the request mainly in deference to the wishes of the older members of the community who would always associate that part of the town with the Market House. He would be satisfied in having this name in the vicinity of the Commissioners section of the library premises.