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MEMBERS OF LETTERKENNY Town Council are planning to hand a letter of protest to Environment Minister Phil Hogan when he pays a visit to the Donegal town on Friday.
Local representatives are angry over the Environment Minister’s plans to abolish town councils — details of which were confirmed last month with the publication of the Local Government Bill.
A public meeting was held in the council chambers last night to discuss how to handle the minister’s visit to the town on Friday; he’s due to officially open the a new wastewater treatment works.
Some councillors had planned to boycott, or even protest outside the event as a result of the Fine Gael politician’s refusal to meet with them to discuss plans to scrap the council.
But it was agreed after the meeting that Mayor Paschal Blake and Deputy Mayor Tom Crossan would attend as a mark of respect to staff members and officials who developed the project at Magherenan.
“We decided after the meeting that the mayor would go along and hand a letter of protest to the Minister,” Crossan told TheJournal.ie.
“The mayor, in his address will also mention the subject”.
Crossan said that Hogan’s response to their request for a meeting on Friday had been “scant,” and described the minister as an “arrogant man”.
“Letterkenny is the capital of Donegal and towns like it should be supported through town councils — that’s the point we wanted to make to him.
“We have spent the last number of years pumping €300 million of investment into the town — new parks, a leisure centre, a theatre. We’re also the first town in Ireland to appoint a town gardener to decorate the town.
Councillor Blake said he would make “just a brief mention” of the authority’s opposition to Hogan’s plan in his speech on Friday, and would be taking a “diplomatic approach” to the matter.
However the town mayor also said individual councillors had been treated “with disrespect” by the Environment Minister in the past.
Councillors will meet tomorrow night to draft the letter, and both the mayor and deputy mayor said they hoped to have a chance to speak to Hogan at the event, despite his refusal to agree to a formal meeting.
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Nope, it suxx, but I like Ed sheeran, seems a sound bloke.
@Darren Matthews: this should have been a poll option! I’m happy for the geezer and with him all the happiness his success can bring, but if he was strumming in my front garden I’d close the curtains – after dropping him out a cup of tea first of course!
I don’t think I’d know one of his songs
Sad to say I’ve turned into my dad, music was better in my day and so on.
@Nollaig Kelly: just flick on the radio pal, I’d say a quick scan through all the stations and it will seem that you will find one of his songs on at any given moment. Incredibly popular musician with the main stream radio stations.
@Gordon Larney: in super. markets and pubs its mostly 60,s and seventies music.. All the modern singers now are like wet milky tea with dollops of sugar.. What people see in Ed sheerins feeble warbling is beyond me! My generation were brought up on the stones, beatles, lead zeplin.. Beach Boys.. Blues, soul.. Jazz.
..ie quality music.. Music now is instantly Disposable to appease the tone challenged.!
Saw him in Vicar Street last night. Really amazing gig, he really engages with his audience.
There are a lot of people in Limerick & Cork very annoyed that this bloke is being allowed to play in their stadiums while their teams have to play elsewhere.
@O’Brien Michael: not his fault to be fair
@O’Brien Michael: That’s the GAAs decision, Ed didn’t hijack the stadiums! They can be annoyed, just not with him.
@O’Brien Michael: blame ur stadium ownets and teams
No I like led zepplin now they knew how t plargerise…
Nanana nanana ….
Decent lad , skipping his songs.
Everything is muck since Roy Orbison died
@Aonghus O Flaherty: what a voice Roy had. Could listen to him all day.
@Brian Dunne: Amen!
His music wouldn’t be to my taste – I’m a Depeche Mode fan more than anything else – but as other people have said here he seems to be a pretty decent chap. I’d sooner have him come here than another performer whose name I will not utter.
his songs are well constructed, diverse and always have a story behind them. even song wrote for other people have the same feeling, while bringing in co-writers like johnny from snow patrol have made him more rounded. they might be easy listening staples, but they’re goid songs.
I’ve seen some odd polls on the journal but this is way up there! Obviously I took part. Who doesn’t!
A-team is a great song. I don’t really know any others.
@Caroline Otoole: This song comes on in my car every time I switch it on. Drives me nuts. I must delete it. He seems like a decent lad and I wish him well but his songs are all a bit samey and just not my cup of tea.
@Caroline Otoole: “in 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit….if you have a problem, and no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire….”
The radio is after turning me off him cause they play his songs constantly
He is one of my Bad Habits.
Ill get my coat.
@Jason Flynn-Wall: That joke gave me Shivers
I couldn’t possibly listen to someone who shares a barber with Boris Johnson
Jazz musicians are fine when they play Bach.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=leipzig+jazz+bach+youtube&docid=608008425553012690&mid=87BFDE134A4CEA8453A887BFDE134A4CEA8453A8&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
I’m not in to pop so
I couldn’t possibly listen to someone who shares a barber with Boris Johnson
have your say