Fresh pleas by McGinley family to be given homes
COME and talk to us - that’s the plea at the start of another year living in caravans in a city centre car park by members of the extended McGinley family to Sligo County Council.
The latest addition to the McGinley clan arrived on December 18th last and the baby joins some 15 adults and 20 children at the Connaughton Road site.
Marie McGinley (18), who lives with her parents and six other children in a caravan at the car park told The Sligo Champion they were willing to sit down with the Council and negotiate a move.
“If they would just come forward and try to reach an agreement with us. Personally, I would like something on the Bundoran Road,” she said. She added: “There’s been no letters, no phonecalls. No one has come. It’s ridiculous that this situation has been allowed drag on for over 35 years.
“A car park has been my home all my life but there’s no proper facilities here. We’ve cold running water, no shower and only one working toilet for 30 people. That’s not right.”
A barrier has been taken down at entrance to city centre car park.
Matters have escalated with the Council since last summer with lines be re-painted there and a barrier being erected and then taken down. Ms McGinley says there was also no need for Gardaí to be present in riot gear when contractor repalced the barrier like on previous occasions. In fact, they have offered to put the barrier back up themselves, having taken it down last Friday to get a horsebox out.
Sligo County Council will, in the coming days re-erect a barrier to the entrance to Connaughton Road Car Park - for the third time.
The barrier was removed last Friday night with the McGinley family who live there saying it was done so in order to allow the removal of a horse in a trailer.
The barrier is lying on the ground behind one of the caravans at the car park which has been home to the extended McGinley family for over 35 years.
Marie McGinley (18) told The Sligo Champion that it was easy to remove the barrier.
“All it took was a spanner to loosen three bolts.
“I rang the council twice that morning to ask them to come and take it down to allow us take out the horsebox but they refused to come and remove it,” she said. In a statement the council said the barrier at Connaughton Road was first re-erected in early July 2017 at a cost of €2k Installation only costs as the original barrier was available for use, say the Council.
They claim it was unlawfully removed at the end of August 2nd and once again re-erected by the Council on 13th December last.
The costs on this occasion were €2,750 for the new pivot barrier and approx. €2k installation costs.