What it Says in the Castlebar and Mayo Papers

18th of October 2000

Connaught Telegraph

The Mayo News

The Western People

Council fights to save church from closure The Connaught Telegraph this week.

The decision of The Western Health Board to close down the century-old church at St. Mary's Hospital in Castlebar has been condemned by members of the local Urban Council. The authority adopted an emergency motion calling on the board to reverse its decision to convert the oratory into a library for students at the newly opened nursing college at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. Mr. Blackie Gavin, who proposed the motion, said that it was unique to have such a fine church within close proximity of a hospital. "It would be a retrograde step to close it down. I could not believe the amount of people who came to me to complain about the decision. The residents of St. Patrick's Avenue and the Westport Road are particularly unhappy about this and we should do what we can to ensure it does not close down." Mr. Gavin added that a sum of £40,000 had recently been spent on restoring the roof of the church. Mr. Sean Bourke, who is a member of the Western Health Board, said he regretted the decision, but that the proximity of the church to the new accident and emergency department and ambulance entrance led to a problem that had to be tackled. "If the place is clogged up and an emergency is held up then there would be an outcry." Mr. Bourke added that the Health Board has made the offer of access to the dining room of St. Mary's Hospital for Sunday Mass. Mr. Johnny Mee, Cathaoirleach, said most people in Castlebar had an affinity with the church. "People are hurt and dismayed over this. If the church was deemed to interfere with the entrance to the accident and emergency unit, then that was bad planning."

Fears grow over closure of cancer unit at Mayo General The Connaught Telegraph this week.

A Dáil Deputy has protested over plans to close the breast cancer screening unit at Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar. Local Fine Gael TD, Mr. Enda Kenny said that an advisory group appointed by the Minister for Health to make recommendations to the National Cancer Forum, has indicated that the unit should be shut down and women from Mayo could be examined and treated in Galway. Deputy Kenny said the Advisory Group, chaired by Professor Niall O'Higgins, met last week with Western Health Board officials and medical consultants working in this area in Galway. He continued: "Their recommendation continues to be that the Castlebar Unit should be phased out and closed. This is not based on any lack of medical or professional standards in Mayo General Hospital. I understand that at a meeting last week Professor O'Higgins said he saw no difficulty in having the women of Mayo bussed to Galway for examination and/or treatment. It is perfectly obvious that Professor O'Higgins, based in Dublin, has absolutely no understanding of the geographical size of County Mayo or the condition of many of its roads. This recommendation will, if implemented, take away a vital service to the women of Mayo and I for one am not prepared to sit idly by and let this happen", added Deputy Kenny.

Council planning sale of the century The Connaught Telegraph this week.

The housing sale of the century is shortly to take place in Castlebar. Mayo County Council will sell Semi-detached dwellings valued at £105,000 for a sum of £69,950 ... a huge saving of £35,550. That represents outstanding value at a time when property prices in the county town have gone through the proverbial roof. The offer is being made by the council in respect of 30 three-bedroom semi-detached houses at Moneen. The estate, located within walking distance of the town centre, is being built as part of an affordable housing scheme to be undertaken by the council in association with Respond, the voluntary housing agency. Details of the impressive scheme were outlined by Mr. Martin Keating, Housing Officer, at a meeting of the authority. Local developer, Seamus Regan Contractors Limited, has been awarded the contract to build the estate. The overall development was independently valued by Mr. Peter Tuohy, auctioneer, at £18,000 per site and £87,500 for each house. However the reduced cost of £69,950 is being subsided by the council under the affordable housing scheme. The scheme provides for the building of new houses in areas where house prices have created an affordability gap for lower income house purchasers. The houses will be offered for sale to eligible first time purchasers at a significant discount from the market value of comparable houses in the area. People wishing to buy a house under the scheme must satisfy an income test.

Incineration: Male fertility, farming and public health at risk is one of the leading articles in The Mayo News this week.

Male fertility levels will decrease in the West, the farming industry will be devastated and public health could be seriously affected. That's the grim scenario being put forward by an Engineering Lecturer at the National University of Ireland, Galway, if the establishment of an incinerator, as proposed in the Connaught Draft Waste Development Plan, goes ahead. Mayo County Council adopted the plan on Monday by 15 votes to 13. Dr. Conchubair O' Bradaigh also claims that incidences of cancer-related illnesses will increase, due to toxic emissions from the incineration process. The draft management plan has already been rejected by Galway County Council and Galway Corporation. The location of an incinerator in Roscommon has been rejected by Roscommon County Council though members have not ruled out the possibility of supporting it elsewhere in the West region. The draft plan was discussed in detail by Mayo County Council on Monday night, with Charlestown-based Councillor, Gerry Murray, being the strongest opponent of an incinerator. He was one of those who opposed the adoption of the plan, breaking ranks with his Fianna Fáil colleagues. Mr. O'Bradaigh argues that the regional basis of the waste plan, which clubs together the counties of Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Galway and Mayo, should be rejected, and he argues that a county waste plan should be adopted specifically for each county. He urged all those with a social conscience- and particularly farmers- to get involved in a campaign of opposition to incineration

Market Square refurbishment to begin in two weeks The Mayo News.

The refurbishment of Market Square, Castlebar, into a pedestrianised shopping zone, is to commence on November 1st with a second start-up date in January after a break for Christmas. The entire project is expected to be completed by or before June 2001. During the refurbishment, the roads into Market Square will be blocked off from traffic. Assistant County Manager, Alex Fleming, stated at a special planning meeting last week that the works would be done in association with pipe - laying for the town sewage scheme. "Once the engineers get going it will be very easily done", he said.

Stauntons development welcomed by councillors The Mayo News this week.

The proposed development of a commercial and residential arcade on Main Street, Castlebar, by Staunton Holidays Ltd., has been welcomed by Castlebar U.D.C. councillors. During a discussion on the application at a special meeting last week, Cllr. Johnny Mee welcomed the proposed development which, he said, would provide a new boost of life to the old town centre and which would be fairly unobtrusive. Cllr. Blackie Gavin said the overall plan was very impressive and he too wished to welcome it. During the discussion,John Condon, Castlebar Town Clerk, confirmed that car - parking charges are to be introduced to public car-parks in Castlebar. Replying to a query from Cllr. Eoin Garavan as to what arrangement would take place at the Credit Union car-park to which the proposed private commercial development by Staunton Holidays Ltd. is attached, the Town Clerk replied that the U.D.C. would propose to the developer to collect the car-parking charges for the public and private car-park as a whole, and then come to a sharing arrangement regarding monies collected.

Now lack of gas leads to dearer heating oil! The Western People this week.

It has been claimed that home heating oil is dearer in Mayo and other Western counties than in the eastern part of the country, because there is no competition with natural gas in the West. A survey undertaken last week indicated that the cost of a typical tankful of kerosene heating oil to consumers in Mayo, Sligo and Galway cost about £40 more than in the eastern counties. The survey published in the Sunday Times showed that people in the West usually pay £430 for 1,000 litres of kerosene. It said that home heating oil suppliers admitted that customers in Connacht were paying more and added that this was because there was no competition from natural gas. Declan Finucane, director of the Domestic Heating Oil Council, which represents heating oil suppliers, said that there was no reason heating oil should be more expensive in the west. "It is about market forces, if people pay that price, then that is what they will be charged. There are transport costs involved but that shouldn't affect the price to the consumer", he said. Dermot Jewell, chief executive of the Consumers' Association of Ireland, said the survey showed that competition was needed and that the gas network should be extended. He said people in the west should ask their suppliers why they were being charged more.

Castlebar bans drinking in public places The Western People this Tuesday.

Castlebar Urban District Council has decided to adopt and put into operation immediately bye-laws governing the regulation and control of the consumption and possession of intoxicating liquor in public places. Cllr. Michael Kilcoyne said at the meeting last Thursday that this was a result of a motion he put down in the council and he formally recommended its adoption. Chairman, Johnny Mee said that it was disgraceful what was going on in places like Lough Lannagh and the Old Cemetery at night. He also said that if anyone sees young people drinking it should be reported to the Guards. The law now says that no person shall consume or attempt to consume intoxicating liquor in a public place within the Urban Area.

Hat Factory celebrates 60 years The Western People this week.

To mark the 60th anniversary of Castlebar's Hat Factory, the Home Centre on the Newport Road which is located on the site of the old Hat Factory complex, is celebrating the occasion with three open days. Efforts are currently under-way to locate the original stone used to commemorate the official opening of the Hat Factory and a reward will be offered to anyone who can provide information leading to its recovery. A number of the original workers will be on hand to give a history of the factory. Local historian, Ernie Sweeney, was the brain behind the idea and is acting as co-ordinator of the event. He has promised a wonderful three days to all visitors and customers that come to the Newport Road businesses and do their shopping at the Home Centre.

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