There was widespread confusion at the February meeting of the Dungarvan / Lismore District of Waterford Council as two councillors clashed on their ideas and plans to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the handover of Dungarvan Castle to the IRA on March 4th 1922.
A motion had been tabled by Fine Gael Councillor Damien Geoghegan which requested that Dungarvan/Lismore District Council formally mark the Centenary of the formal takeover of King John’s Castle, Dungarvan on the 4th March 1922 by The Provisional Government from The Royal Irish Constabulary.
However, an event had already been organised by a Castle Centenary Committee, involving Sinn Fein Councillor Conor McGuinness, comprised of families of IRA members from the time as well as local historians. That event had been organised to take place at Dungarvan Castle on Saturday March 5th from 2pm.
A press release from the group noted that, the Committee is working closely with many of the historical associations in West Waterford including Cumann Staire agus Oidhreachta na nDéise, the Waterford County Museum, Nire and Blackwater Historical Society, the Piltown Cross Commemoration Committee and the West Waterford Brigade Memorial Association. The Commemoration will involve a re-enactment parade by a column of IRA volunteers, period vehicles, and a marching band; the raising of the National Flag at Dungarvan Castle; and a solemn wreath laying to remember those who gave their lives for Ireland’s freedom.
Stating the intentions of his motion, Cllr. Geoghegan outlined his belief that all shades of political opinion could be in support of any event. He said that it was an ‘important enough event’ for it to be formally organised by Waterford City & County Council.
District Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Tom Cronin (Fianna Fáil) then brought it to light that he had learnt before the District meeting while in conversation with Council Director of Services, Mr. Kieran Kehoe, that there were actually two proposed commemorations earmarked to take place at Dungarvan Castle.
“One on Saturday, one on Friday - I think, has been proposed. I spoke to Kieran and on the Council’s involvement in it. Maybe before we go any further, I might bring in Kieran. I don’t want taking from the other. I know a lot of people involved in both. My view, is that I will let Kieran speak and then we might make a decision on it.”
Mr. Kehoe said that any commemoration should go through the ‘proper channels’.
“It’s an important date in history. We have a Commemorations Committee in place. I think that it should be referred immediately to that committee for consideration in conjunction with other proposals that are there. That way, it will be done in the right and appropriate manner.”
Cllr. Cronin then queried whether Mr. Kehoe was suggesting that it would be preferable to have one event as opposed to two.
Mr. Kehoe said he believed that it would be ‘a little bit unnecessary’ to celebrate the one event at Dungarvan Castle on two separate occasions within such a short timeframe.
“We have a Commemorations Commitee in place to work on these things and make a decision. It should go to them as quickly as it could.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Conor McGuinness then stated his belief that it would be best if Cllr. Geoghegan’s motion was referred to the said committee for consideration.
“I think it’s a good proposal. Obviously, it’s an event that needs to be marked. There is a commemoration in the offing, that has been organised over the last number of months by a committee. They have submitted an application to the Waterford Commemorations Committee. They have been engaged with the OPW (Office of Public Works). They have involved a number of historical and heritage associations across West Waterford. They have involved the family members of many of the volunteers of the Irish Republican Army and historians of repute. They are experts of the period in question - the revolutionary period, including Sean Murphy and Tommy Mooney, both of them who have written books on the topic. The committee have put a huge amount of work into a commemoration. Invitations, as I understand it, would have been issued. I certainly would’ve gotten one to my Council email address. They will have been issued to councillors, to Oireachtas members, and it is going ahead. I understand that the Mayor of the City & County will be attending and laying a wreath on behalf of the people of Waterford.”
“I understand where Cllr. Geoghegan is coming from but I think initially, that it would have been better to go through the correct channels of the committee. Also, I would prefer to see rather than having a separate standalone event by the District Council, organised in effectively two and a half weeks, that this District Council would just support the commemoration that’s going ahead - that’s already in train, and that has gone through the correct channels. If it is necessary, I would be proposing an amendment to the text in the motion, that we would mark the commemoration by supporting the existing event that’s taking place on the Saturday.”
Cllr. Geoghegan was critical of the Commemorations Committee and said that if they ‘were doing the job correctly’, that there wouldn't have been a need for any motion.
“I think it’s the job of the committee to ensure that a proper commemoration was organised and put in place, and that it shouldn’t necessarily be left up to an ad-hoc group, or a community group. The Commemorations Committee of the Council should have been the ones driving this first day.”
Cllr. McGuinness then interjected to say that he found Geoghegan’s remarks to be ‘extremely unfair’.
“They organise commemorations, seminars, workshops and events and conferences and have done so all along on the basis of voluntary effort. If Cllr. Geoghegan had wanted to, there was nothing stopping him six months ago from going to the committee with a suggestion.”
The pair proceeded to talk over one another while Cllr. Cronin called for calm.
Cllr. Geoghegan made it clear that he was not being critical in any way of any group holding a commemoration, but that it was his firm belief that the Commemorations Committee of the Council should be the driving force.
“I’m not criticising in any way, shape or form, anybody who wishes to hold a commemoration or who’s out there publishing books or anything like that. The best of luck to them. I’m delighted to see them doing it. I’m not being critical of them at all now, Cllr. McGuinness. So, let’s be clear. What I am being critical of is the commemorations committee here. I do think that they should be the driving force. They’re a subcommittee of the Council. Here’s a major event and they had no plans to mark it. That’s the reality of it. That’s the reason why I brought forward a motion today. I think it’s important that the Council officially does it, and it marks the occasion . If there’s two events down there, three events, four events. Great. The occasion and the anniversary warrants it.”
Cllr. Thomas Phelan (Labour) then commented as a member of the Commemorations Committee. He wished to acknowledge that the committee had been mentioned in a negative light and noted that the committee are more so a facilitator as opposed to an initiator.
“Our terms of reference have been for quite a while now as the people looking at allocating funds as part of national policy, to community groups and organisations - not necessarily being the initiator of particular commemoration events. What we do is essentially put out an application process and community groups, historical societies, so on and so forth can then apply and request funding, which we then just adjudicate upon and issue the funding. If does go to the committee, there might be an opportunity for the people on that to try and bring these two events together, even at short notice.”
Cllr. Geoghegan said that ‘that could very well happen’ while Cllr. McGuinness requested that Cllr. Phelan, as a member of the committee, would forward Cllr. Geoghegan an application form - ‘the same type of application form that every community group has to fill in, in order to be considered’.
Cllr. McGuinness then said he would forward the form to Cllr. Geoghegan, as Cllr. Cronin again interjected.
“We can throw this over and back to one another now lads. It’ll go nowhere.”
Cllr. James Tobin (Fianna Fáil) then made his feelings known, as he said he agreed with Cllr. Phelan and that the commemorations committee should be ‘brought into play’.
“Maybe in discussions, we could come up with the one event.”
He requested that as Chair of the locality, that Cllr. Cronin would be the person to bring both sides of the table together to do so.
Cllr. John Pratt concurred with Cllr. Tobin and said that it was ‘disappointing’ that the Council found themselves in the position.
“It’s disappointing that we haven’t been able to arrive to a decision prior to now that it would have been one event. I’m not going to get into the who should and who shouldn’t - it’s just disappointing, in my opinion.”
Cllr. Cronin said he wouldn't like to see three or four events at Dungarvan Castle, and urged a resolution.
“I wouldn’t like to see two. I think one is going to take from the other. That’s not the spirit of the whole thing. This is to commemorate something that happened 100 years ago. It’s sad that we’re gone down this road now. I didn’t think that we would be going down this road. Look, we are where we are now. What I’m suggesting is is that the two committees should actually meet together. I know people on both of them. There are a lot of very good and genuine people on both of them. I would like this right, not to become a clash. It shouldn’t be. It’s not meant to be. What I’m saying is that they come together and thrash out some kind of an agreement. We can move this on, and do it in the spirit that it should be done under.”
Cllr. McGuinness committed to bringing that proposition back to the Castle Centenary Committee.
“I know they have already been in touch almost daily with the executive of the Commemorations Committee and the county archivist, and that there is a lot of engagement there. I’m sure that they would be more than happy with the support and the input of the District Council. Any councillor will have received an invitation, and are very welcome to attend. I know the invitation has been passed to the Mayor (Cllr. Joe Kelly), but I’ll also make the suggestions known from Cllr. Tobin and Cllr. Phelan there that the District Cathaoirleach (Cllr. Cronin) would also be formally included in that event. I don’t think there’s any issue there.”
“I have no problem with any of that Councillor, that’s perfect,” said Cllr. Geoghegan.
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