Tag Archives: Gerry Flynn

LAST week’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District heard criticism of the new draft masterplan for Shannon Town Centre, and a request that the deadline for submissions on it be extended. Very close to the outset of the meeting independent Councillor Gerry Flynn made the call for the time for submissions to be extended. He said that just the previous day the county development plan had been pushed back for seven months, because there hadn’t been adequate consultation due to Covid-19. Putting the deadline back for the Shannon masterplan is necessary, he said, with local people unhappy about the level of consultation. “There is widespread anger in the community because they haven’t had proper engagement.” After Jason Murphy of the Council’s executive said he would run the request by Brian McCarthy of the Council’s planning section, Councillor Flynn said this would not be adequate. “This is something for the Chief Executive to decide on.” Councillor Flynn said he had put forward …

Reservations over funding ‘private company’ and possible neglect of other districts CLAIMS and counter claims were expressed by county councillors during heated exchanges before a controversial €10 million loan was approved for the Ennis 2040 Designated Activity Company (DAC) by a majority vote. Ennis 2040 Designated Activity Company (DAC) has been registered as a company to assist in identifying opportunities for development and employment in Ennis and making the town an attractive place to live and work. While councillors support investment for Ennis, several expressed grave reservations about the new funding mechanism proposed by the council executive at a meeting on Monday, and the lack of a similar package for rural Clare. The loan was passed by 23 votes to five, with Councillors Tony O’Brien, Gerry Flynn, Donna McGettigan, P J Kelly and Susan Crawford officially recording their opposition. Some of the remaining councillors who supported it – Pat Burke, Joe Killeen and Ian Lynch – did so reluctantly. Councillor …

NEGATIVE online commentary about Shannon and Clare County Council’s role in running it was criticised this week, with several members of the Shannon MD saying it’s time to point out some of the positive things about Clare’s second largest town. Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn called out those he referred to as “keyboard warriors”, who always criticise the town and elected representatives. “They hide beyond their keyboards and they’re always negative, negative, negative.” He said it’s time that the Council “spoke up about all that is good about Shannon”. A motion from Councillor Flynn asked that the Council engage a public relations specialist to publicise “the many positives that exist in Shannon Town as a place to live, bring up a family and avail of the many opportunities that exist for employment, education, social interests and also an expansive landscape to enjoy”. Councillor Flynn says the local authority has the web address shannon.ie available to it, and this could be used …

A DRAFT of the new masterplan for Shannon was shown to local councillors on Tuesday. While there have been numerous plans for the town over the years, they have so far failed to deliver a proper heart to Shannon, while local anger has been bubbling over the last five years about the town’s lack of facilities, the lack of investment in it and the fact it is possibly the only Irish town without a streetscape. One previous plan proposed a light rail system running through the town, but that proposal, along with virtually everything else in that plan, came to nothing. However, hope springs eternal, and Councillor Donna McGettigan said there are things to be positive about in the draft that was shown to the Councillors this week. She said it could see Bóthar Mór become a focus for new development, potentially giving the town a main street for the first time. “Bóthar Mór would be the main focus of …

WHILE over €4 million has been announced for Ennis under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, the second largest town in Clare wasn’t successful. It has left a sour taste in Shannon, where recent years have seen persistent complaints that the town does not have the facilities that a town of around 10,000 people and with a huge industrial base should have. It is hard to think of any major projects in the town that have been completed in recent years with the exception of Shannon Town Park, which opened in 2019 at a cost of €1.5 million. There are also plans for a future new community sports hub. There is no doubt that the centre of Ennis is already a far more attractive place than the equivalent area in Shannon, which still doesn’t have a conventional streetscape and local independent councillor Gerry Flynn said that the failure to get anything from the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund is another …

THE real drama of the weekend’s election count in Clare came after 5pm on Sunday, when the final seat in the Shannon Electoral Area was being decided. In the end, Gerry Flynn was elected to the council for a fourth term but he will never be pressed harder. Both he and Garret McPhillips were exactly level after a recount of votes. In such circumstances, what happens is that the candidate with the greater number of first preferences goes through and the 1,041 Flynn number ones was greater than McPhillips’ 939. While reporting on local politics can be dreary, that certainly wasn’t the case on Sunday evening. Shannon was the last electoral area to be counted and Cathal Crowe was way ahead of everyone else, with a massive 2,575 first preferences, far in excess of the 1,406 quota. The second count saw Fine Gael’s John Crowe home, his 1,308 first preferences topped up by another 121 from his namesake’s surplus. Count three …

AFTER a draining evening Garret McPhillips lost out, tying with Gerry Flynn, but not taking the seat because the Independent candidate had more number one votes. While they were dead even after six counts, one recheck and one recount, the greater number of first preferences is used as a means of separating candidates in such circumstances, although it almost never happens. In the immediate aftermath, Mr  McPhillips said he had advice that he could seek a more extensive recount to the one carried out on Sunday evening, but even at that stage he was inclined not to press ahead with that course of action. “Look, I don’t want to go down the legal road. When it says I’m entitled to a full recount it means a full recount of the whole Shannon district, I don’t know, I need more clarity. But at the moment it is what it is, I congratulate Gerry 100%, I congratulate Mike (McKee), especially with his …

ELECTION counts often provide a few hours’ entertainment for the casual visitor, but they can be hellish for the candidates and those close to them. Last Sunday evening will surely never be forgotten by Gerry Flynn as he was announced as winner three times, but on two occasions recounts were sought, meaning a long and difficult evening for the Miltown native, who has made his home in Shannon and represented the town for many years. While he shook hands with Garret McPhillips after the initial recheck, there was no handshake between the two after the final outcome. Speaking this week, Councillor Flynn said that at that stage he was quite drained by the process. He was clearly irritated by the fact that Mr McPhillips had sought the recount after the recheck, despite the two having shaken hands. “If I shook your hand and congratulated you, I’d mean it. What’s wrong at all now, is there no substance in a handshake?” Councillor …