*Photograph: John Mangan
A VOTE WAS REQUIRED to defeat an amendment seeking the commencement of a public consultation process for the naming of the new County Library in Ennis.
Late 2021 was the original target for planned opening of the new County Library building at the Causeway Link in Ennis which has a tendered sum of €8.7m, this was pushed back to late 2023 following the collapse of Keating Construction and is set to open in the first quarter of 2024. The present library on Harmony Row is called de Valera public library and Fianna Fáil councillors are keen for the name to remain with the new building.
In a proposal by Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF), Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) and Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) before the June meeting of Clare County Council, they noted how historical names are attached to libraries in the county such as Sean Lemass (Shannon), William Smith O’Brien (Newmarket-on-Fergus) and Dr Patrick J. Hillery (Miltown Malbay) as they proposed the de Valera name be retained in the county town.
This proposal stemmed from an interaction at the May meeting where Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) told Cllr Colleran Molloy not to assume the new library would be named after the former President and Taoiseach.
She said, “It makes logical sense that new library will keep the de Valera name”. The Quin native added “I’d hate to think any opposition to this would be based on the unacceptable ethics to review our history”.
Cllr Ryan who helped to restore Dev’s dodge described the longest serving Taoiseach as “an absolute historian and a contributor to our life in Ireland. Love him or hate, he was a person that stood out”.
Decisions made in the 1970s to rename the library after de Valera should be respected, Cllr Hayes maintained, “It was a decision of the democratic process, we don’t need revisions to go back to what our history is. We owe it to the people of the past, we don’t need to rewrite history”.
Voicing opposition, Cllr Flynn remarked, “I want to make it clear that I will not be supporting it, I am not calling for a vote because of the numbers Fianna Fáil have and their sympathisers”. He noted, “All the names seem to be from the Fianna Fáil family or the Soldiers of Desinty as ye call yourselves”. Shannon based Flynn admitted he was against naming public buildings after individuals but added, “If Fianna Fáil are insisting on us naming it after somebody, my suggestion would be Sr Ethel Normoyle, a fabulous person, it’s people like that if we are forced to name buildings after, Sr Ethel would have done tremendous work and made a difference to the quality of lives of so many”.
De Valera’s name “is hugely important to the people of Clare,” Cllr Pat Daly (FF) insisted. He said he had an association with Ennis since 1955 and that his grand-daughter Síle maintained this when she served as a Clare TD and Minister.
Addressing the meeting, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) admitted, “I hadn’t planned on speaking on this”. She said glór had not been named after any individual and believed County Librarian, Helen Walsh should be involved in the discussion. “The de Valera name will stay on the existing building, you will upset people, we need to be careful, we need to see it built and up and running first”.
Similar calls to pause plans for naming the building were echoed by Cllr Paul Murphy (FG). “I’m always reluctant to name something after a person, by honouring one person you could be disrespecting another. I think public consultation is required, the library is a place of education so maybe naming it after Edna O’Brien one of our greatest writers would be more appropriate”.
Such a debate came as a surprise to Cllr Ann Norton (IND) who expected the name would be retained on the new building. “I think we need to be very careful in how we name things and how other people’s names are put on buildings because they are what goes into the future, a library is around books and education, it is something which should be about our history and something we have seen and believed in over the years. I never expected this conversation to happen”.
Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) reminded his colleagues that he warned them of the “slippery road” ahead when Lees Rd was named after John O’Sullivan. He suggested sticking with de Valera’s name to close the door on future debates. Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) remarked, “In my view, it is recognition of a strong leader, a Taoiseach and President who loved Co Clare”.
An amendment was then put forward by Cllr Howard, Cllr Murphy and Cllr Flynn but was defeated 17-9.
How they voted: amendment proposing the process of naming the County Library goes to public consultation.
FOR: Cllr Mary Howard (FG), Cllr Paul Murphy (FG), Cllr Joe Cooney (FG), Cllr Pat Burke (FG), Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND), Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF), Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG), Cllr Liam Grant (GP), Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG).
AGAINST: Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG), Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF), Cllr Pat Daly (FF), Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF), Cllr Pat Hayes (FF), Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF), Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF), Cllr Michael Begley (IND), Cllr PJ Ryan (IND), Cllr Pat McMahon (FF), Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF), Cllr Shane Talty (FF), Cllr Joe Killeen (FF), Cllr PJ Kelly (FF), Cllr Bill Chambers (FF), Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF), Cllr Ian Lynch (IND)
ABSENT: Cllr Ann Norton (IND), Cllr John Crowe (FG)
