‘I FEEL I’VE STILL LOADS TO OFFER’
WHEN Declan Bree likes to relax he will take up a book or goes to enjoy some traditional music. His High Street house, home since the 1980s, has a study with books going from floor to ceiling.
He never went to third level college but says it was something he had thought about as a mature student.
“I don’t regret missing out because the early years in politics were fascinating, it was great experience. I would have liked to have had the opportunity of going to college in later years and I did enquire about the possibility in the late 1970s, early 1980s of going to UCG but there’s still time.”
His own family have all been to college, two children from his marriage to Catherine McConville and three with his long term partner, Dr Margaret Connolly.
Manus is living in Dublin and working as Regeneration Co-ordinator in Rialto, Connie is a creative producer and curator in New York while Megan is in her final year of medicine in the University of Limerick, Kathie is doing a Masters in social work at the University of Edinburgh and Deaglan is doing Computer Science at U.C.D.
Having been born and reared not too far away in John Street he has always felt a great affinity with the town centre.
Growing up back in the 1960s there were lots of families living in the core of the town but not any more. An election canvass now would take no more than an hour.
“I love the town centre, people say how can I sleep with the noise but it has never bothered me. Everything is so handy living in the town centre.” He notices a huge difference on Coney Island, a holiday retreat every year and it takes a couple of days to readjust to the quiet.
Declan will be 66 this year but he says retirement is not on the agenda. “After Sean MacManus retired someone did say to me was I going next but I certainly feel I still have a huge amount to offer. I’m doing the business and I’m still delivering. I was always anti-ageist.
“When I started out I was making the case for my generation to be represented and I’m saying the same today, that my generation still needs to be represented in the council chamber.”
Cuba is another lifelong passing interest for Declan. “I greatly admire Cuba and its people. We have much in common. We have a population who cherish the concept of freedom and who treasure, enjoy and indeed appreciate not only our own culture but also the music, dance and literature of all nations.
“And like Cuba we are a small nation which for many years sought to assert its independence and sovereignty, an island nation which over the years has had to suffer constant interference from a larger neighbour.” He admires its health and education system.
He has visited Cuba on a number of occasions, the first time in 1977. “When I was Mayor of Sligo back in 2004 I visited Havana on the invitation of its Mayor, Juan Contino Aslan, when they were celebrating the 485 th anniversary of the founding of the city,” he recalls.