209 people have say on bridge name
MORE THAN 200 submissions were made from people about the name for the new Barrow Bridge being built between Stokestown in Wexford and Pink Rock in Kilkenny, with the possibility of a vote-off between Piltown and New Ross councillors still alive.
District director Eamonn Hore said there were 138 submissions to New Ross Municipal District and 47 different names were suggested. ‘It isn’t a popularity contest. Two of the names had more than 20 significant submissions,’ he said.
Mr Hore said each submission will be judged based on how well it meets the criteria set out in the submission form. This includes the name’s relevance to the area’s history and how it would boost the local economy.
Mr Hore said submissions were made by email, to the website consult.ie, through hard copies sent in to the district offices and libraries. He said there is no doubt that there will be duplication between the names submitted to both municipal councils.
He said both Piltown and New Ross municipal district members will have the final say on the name which will be endorsed at a joint meeting of both bodies on October 3.
Kilkenny County Council Senior Executive Tourism Officer Brian Tyrrell said 71 submissions were received in Kilkenny, with 30 names proposed.
Mr Tyrrell said: ‘It certainly engaged people. Close to 20 opted for one particular suggestion. We had various groups as well making submissions, as well as individuals coming forward. It was interesting.’
Cllr Fidelis Doherty thanked everyone who made a submission.
Cllr Michael Sheehan asked how the whittling down process of the names will work. Mr Hore said groups of three people from each council will go through each and every name.
‘Full respect will be given to every name. The most appropriate four or five names will be submitted to each district and we will come together for a joint meeting. A lot of people put an awful lot of thought into it.’
Cllr Tomás Breathnach said 209 submissions shows there was strong public engagement in the process.
Cllr Willie Fitzharris said: ‘ The process seems to have been a good process but we must remember here that there is going to be more than one credible name. It’s a bit like when Wexford beat Kilkenny or Kilkenny beat Wexford – there can only be one winner when the two of them could deserve to win. We should go out of our way to explain this to people.’
Piltown Municipal District Cllr Melissa O’Neill said she got a history lesson from reading the submissions.
Cllr Martin Murphy asked if, in the final analysis, councillors will end up in a voteoff scenario. Mr Hore said: ‘Hopefully when we come together both names will be the same. We may very well come in here with two names. There are also single submissions that are very interesting.’
Cllr Michael Whelan said it was ironic that the ship Boaty McBoat Face, a name decided on through a similar public submissions process, launched the previous week.