A proposal to consider a power-sharing arrangement on Castlebar Town Council is to be considered by the nine member authority at their next meeting. The proposal was moved by Cllr Noel Campbell during the process of electing long serving Labour Party councillor Johnny Mee to the position of Mayor. Cllr Mee was elected unanimously to the position after being proposed by Cllr Kevin Guthrie (FG) and seconded by Cllr Blackie Gavin (FF). Cllr Campbell pointed out that there were five "blocks" on the council, FF, FG, Lab, SF and Independent and it would be good for the town if the members were to be seen to include all "blocks".

The new council is up and running. Let’s hope they make a mark on the town that we will be happy with. Will we be able to look back in five years time and say these were the men that did it (no women of course)? All plastic signs in the town replaced with high quality hand painted wooden signs. Listed buildings preserved. New high tech research and development oriented businesses attracted to town by virtue of the far-seeing approach of our elected representatives? A new swimming pool, a band practice centre and music conservatory constructed. The lake walk completed. Crime figures non-existent due to far-seeing social policies. Recycling implemented by all Main Street shops so that we don’t see piles of cardboard lined up for the landfill bins on Monday morning? No 10 and 11-year olds wandering the streets at 1:00 am. Sufficient high quality hotel accommodation in the town to host a major conference. Proper controls on ribbon development in association with Mayo County Council and restoration of derelict buildings such as Castle Street and Bolgers. The list is a long one.

Mayo’s duo of blond bombshells – Kieran McDonald and Conor Mortimer – had the last laugh on Sunday when they and their team-mates demolished a highly-fancied Galway team writes Cróna Esler. The two had been subjected to a barrage of cutting remarks from Sunday Game analysts, Joe Brolly and Colm O’Rourke, at half-time in the championship clash, with Brolly comparing Kieran McDonald to a "Swedish maid". The analysts’ also claimed that Mortimer would be better advised to spend more time on the football field and less time in the hairdressers, after he narrowly missed a goal chance in the first-half. The comments have provoked widespread anger amongst GAA followers in Mayo with the Western People receiving several telephone calls from irate supporters. But the men at the centre of the controversy were laughing it off yesterday (Monday), as they continued to celebrate Mayo’s great win.

If McDonald like Samson had cut his hair would they have won? I doubt it. But yes it was a great win.

Gardaí from Mayo were out in full force in Shannon at the weekend as US President George W Bush landed in Shannon Airport on Friday ahead of the European Union-United States summit. Approximately one third of Mayo’s Garda forces were deployed to Shannon to perform duty for the duration of the US President’s visit. It is estimated that as many as 70 officers travelled South for the presidential visit. Sgt Pat Diskin of the Chief Superintendent’s office in Castlebar assured the Western People that the Gardaí had full contingency plans in place prior to the weekend to ensure that there were sufficient forces on duty in Mayo.

I loved the photo in the daily papers of the line of tanks heading down the Ennis Road to Shannon Airport. I didn’t know we owned so many tanks. I’m glad to see my taxes going somewhere useful. We need a lot of tanks but it’s not often that we get to use them. I doubt that they took any to Liberia or the Lebanon even so they normally just sit around at home getting rusty? But even that many tanks couldn’t stop a photographer getting a clear shot of Bush through his bedroom window. Presumably the glass was bullet-proof and the window was closed. Hard to stop those damned Paparazzi!