Clones Town Council

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INDEPENDENT COUNCILLOR ELECTED TOWN COUNCIL CATHAOIRLEACH FOR THIRD TIME

Independent Councillor Ross Mealiff was elected to his third period in the Chair for Clones Town Council at Monday night’s AGM of the council. Under the arrangements of the current Town Council, Cllr Mealiff is also the new Town Mayor of Clones.
Proposed for the position by Pat Treanor of Sinn Féin and seconded by PJ McCague of Fianna Fáil, Cllr Mealiff was returned unopposed as part of a general agreement in relation to rotating the Chair.
However, the details of that agreement became the subject of a dispute when it came to the subsequent election of Leas-Cathaoirleach, or vice-Chairperson for the coming 12 months. Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin clashed on this issue, but an election was ultimately avoided when Deirdre Kelly of Fianna Fáil withdrew her nomination, thereby allowing her brother Niall Quigley of Sinn Féin to take up the position (see separate article).
On taking the Chair, Cllr Mealiff said he was delighted to once again receive the honour of being made Cathaoirleach. Cllr Mealiff said Eugene McCaughey would be “hard to follow”, and he commended his predecessor on having attended a great many functions over the year. He himself would do his very best to represent the council in all aspects, and he looked forward to working with the new vice-Chair, councillors and staff members over the coming year.
Outgoing Cathaoirleach Eugene McCaughey had earlier stated that while he had enjoyed the challenges of his year in the Chair, he had been somewhat disappointed with the slow progress on new private housing developments in the town.
A lot of things were happening, in terms of the new Technology Park, the new fire station, library and primary school and the upgrading of the courthouse. The new fountain had been put in place on the Diamond, and the streetscape improvements were very good,
But this was all to do with public investment, and he was personally disappointed at the lack of corresponding private investment. He accepted that he was impatient, and as a businessman himself he liked to see things happen sooner rather than later.
What Clones needed now was private investors to spend the money, and while some sites were progressing around the town, he would love to see developments on the same scale as had occurred in other towns. He was confident that incoming Cathaoirleach and Town Mayor Ross Mealiff would bring his own emphasis to this need for development.
He recalled that presentations had been made during the year to deserving individuals and groups. The Town Council had also been supportive of organisations like the Community Forum and Regeneration Partnership, and was particularly supportive of the push for the proposed new multi-purpose sporting centre at Millbrook. That was a project he would continue to lobby the Minister for Sport on.
Mr McCaughey also emphasised that throughout the year he had supported the Monaghan Hospital Alliance’s campaign (the Alliance and Cllr McCaughey were recently in a war of words over the outgoing Clones Mayor’s criticism of the Alliance’s anti-Fianna Fáil stance in the general election).
He had chaired the Alliance meeting in Clones, and had attended the mass protests in the Hillgrove Hotel and at the Monaghan bypass opening. He made it clear that he still supported the retention of services at Monaghan Hospital and would stand with the Alliance on this.
Cllr McCaughey also recalled the recent meeting between the various town mayors in the county with a view to making an agreed submission to the HSE regarding the location of the proposed new Regional Hospital. “We were all in agreement that it had to be as close as possible to Co Monaghan, and that anywhere south of Ardee would be unacceptable,” he stated.
In conclusion, Cllr McCaughey said he had given the best commitment that he could. In that he had received great co-operation from the other members and from Town Clerk Geraldine Killen and her staff over the year, to all of whom thanks was due.
Fianna Fáil colleague PJ McCague told Cllr McCaughey that he had been a “terrific ambassador” for the Town Council and the town itself, and had performed his duties as Mayor in an exemplary way.
On behalf of Sinn Féin, Pat Treanor commended Cllr McCaughey on bringing active energy to the role and carrying out his duties in a fair and impartial manner.
Peter Mulligan of Fine Gael associated, and praised Cllr McCaughey for the effort he had put into local projects including the new primary school, which, he told the outgoing Mayor, would be a major asset to the community “when you and I are long gone”.

Clones Town Council - Chamber Meeting Minutes
Click here to view JUNE 2007

Clones Town Council - Chamber Meeting Minutes
Click here to view May 2007