Clarke makes a stand against Officialdom

The Councillors bums had barely touched their seats when their new Cathaoirleach issued his first edict. There would be no more resting on their laurels. It was time to make a stand.

Chair Seamus Kilgannon was “just asking” but felt that standing up when they moved a motion was “more professional”. No one dared refuse. From now on, they were thinking on their feet.

This doesn’t apply to the Executive of course, who are so exhausted trying to find different ways to tell councillors “we’re broke”, they need the rest.

West Sligo Councillor Michael Clarke took all this in his stride. Leaping to his feet, he was only too happy to make a stand, a stand for his constituents and his mandate against the choke hold of officialdom.

At a Joint Policing Committee meeting last March he attempted to ask the Gardaí attending three questions, he declared.

How many of the good citizens of Sligo had been wrongly convicted of motoring offences? What had been done to put the record straight? and would they be compensated?

There may be interesting answers to these questions, of interest to a few people here, but alas, just as the Chief Superintendent Michael Clancy was about to answer them, a halt was put to his gallop.

JPC Chair Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady said it was beyond their remit to discuss Garda failings being investigated at national level. Inappropriate to ask.

Three months later, Michael Clarke was still fuming. The JPC was nothing more than a “box ticking exercise” with “no vision or leadership”, he thundered. A waste of space.

“For that reason,” he said, pausing for dramatic effect, “I am resigning from the Joint Policing Committee with immediate effect.”

He had struggled with this decision, “but as they say on Dragon’s Den, for that reason, I’m out.”

You can have your JPC and shove it. Council Chief Executive Ciarán Hayes cut in. It was he who “advised” the Chair that it was not appropriate to get answers, er, discuss Garda matters at the JPC and he “still held that view.” Of course the policing committee meeting was not the place to discuss policing.

Cllr Hubert Keaney backed him up. They were issues being discussed at national level and that’s where they should stay. There were always shortcomings, aren’t we only human beings?

Clearly stung, Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady, hit back with a dig of her own. She was delighted to see the matter up for debate in July: “It’s been on the agenda for some time and I’m glad Michael Clarke is here today to move it.”

She insisted the CEO didn’t interfere and the only reason they couldn’t discuss it was because Michael Clarke “didn’t mention before the meeting that he was going to bring it up, which we all know is a basic courtesy.”

She was sad to see him go however - would he not reconsider?

“The JPC will be stronger without me,” said St Clarke, relishing the view from the higher moral ground.

Arriving late, Cllr Joe Queenan wanted some pesky shrubs pulled up out West.

“Stand up!” everyone hissed at him. “You have to wear a tie as well,” Rosaleen added opportunistically. Anything to get the lads to smarten up a bit.

“What?” said a bemused Joe, pointing to his tie-less colleagues on the Left. Heaving to his feet, Joe wanted newly planted shrubs planted by someone at a junction at Owenbeg gotten rid of.

They have plenty of good hurlers in West Sligo but they’ ll get the Ash somewhere else thank you.

Apart from the new standing rule, it didn’t take long to get a rise out of former Cathaoirleach Keaney.

Cllr Jerry Lundy wanted new Rural Affairs Minister Michael Ring to move his new Department to Tubbercurry. He was waxing lyrical about the good ol’ days way back when Eamon O’Cuiv brought 100 jobs to the town when Hubert suddenly stood up.

It was time for a few cold hard facts about the history of those 100 jobs in Tubbercurry he announced, adding with a wide grin, “I’m back.”

Jerry Lundy must have a statue to Eamon O’Cuiv in his house, he mentioned him so often, said Hubert.

“Like his grandfather before him, he’s a lot to answer for,” he said, flinging his muzzle to the floor.

Eamon O’Cuiv didn’t want to bring any jobs to Tubbercurry, they were actually meant for Ballina. They only ended up in Tubbercurry by mistake. They would eventually be moved back to Ballina where they are now, “thanks to your hero.”

“I’ ll just remind Cllr Keaney that King is only there because Fianna Fáil are keeping them in Government,” said Jerry, snippily. Never mind. It’s summer time. Council’s out til September when they’ ll be back for more.