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Updated 9.40pm
A DUBLIN CITY Council member has dismissed a protest this evening by his fellow councilman Mannix Flynn as “a publicity stunt, full stop”.
Earlier, Independent councillor Flynn held a window ledge protest at Dublin’s City Hall, where he called for the disbanding of the Artane Band.
Flynn had tabled a motion in September calling for the Artane Band to be renamed, citing sensitivity around survivors who were abused in the former St Joseph’s Industrial School in Artane.
The protest took place in advance of the council’s monthly meeting. Flynn was eventually persuaded to end his protest and climbed back inside the building.
The meeting then proceeded slightly later than scheduled.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie Sinn Féin councillor Ciarán O’Moore said that “most of the Council think it (the protest) was disgraceful”.
“DCC doesn’t contribute a penny towards the Artane Band – why should they change their name?” he said.
300 children go through that band every week – they’re trained to the highest standards and codes and given great preparation for the world. I think that speaks for itself.
O’Moore added that he doesn’t “believe the name should be changed”.
“Mannix was seeking publicity and that’s it,” he said.
Councillor Flynn, who attended an industrial school himself in his youth, told TheJournal.ie this evening that the protest was “to get across the serious nature of our objection to the absolutely appalling nature of the history of the band”.
“You might as well have Nazis marching around seeing them in their current uniform. It’s vile,” he said.
It is not a proud history, it is a history of terror, of inhumane treatment, and of constant child rape, and we have all the proof of that to hand.
The GAA should be ashamed to be associated with them, our Lord Mayor should be ashamed regarding his previous inappropriate statements regarding the band, of whom he is patron.
We are determined that the Artane Band should cease to exist.
A Garda spokesman meanwhile confirmed the force “is aware of an incident”, although indications suggest that no investigation will ensue.
Earlier, a group of around a dozen other protesters gathered outside City Hall , carrying placards which read ‘Disband the Artane Band’.
Cllr Flynn was seen in a first-floor window of the building, sitting on the window ledge. He was said to be “totally calm”. He got off the ledge and went inside the building just before 5.30pm.
However the band’s general manager told TheJournal.ie last month that the band is named after the community it is based in and it is not intended that the band be renamed.
Flynn tweeted today that he had started a petition calling for the Artane Band to be disbanded.
Two gardaí attended the scene of the protest. Members of the group holding the protest said it did not have an official name.
They have handed out these fliers in relation to their protest:
One protester, named Danny, said he had been in a number of industrial schools across Ireland. He said the protesters are all joining together in relation to this issue, but think there will not be much support for their cause.
He said the protesters believe that “at the very least the Artane Band should rebrand” because of the connection between its uniforms and historical abuse at industrial schools in Ireland, and he also said the GAA should give a public apology for its connection with the band.
The band plays at GAA events such as the All-Ireland Final.
Dublin City Council declined to comment on the incident.
- Additional reporting Daragh Brophy and Cianan Brennan
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Libraries are wonderful places and we need to get our kids off their phones and into the library.
I don’t want staff less libraries.
Is is really such a big drain on resources to staff a library?
We are ripping the soul out of our communities in our pursuit of cost saving.
What hyperbole. How does the library staying open a little later without staff ripping the soul of of a community?
Tom’s referring to the pursuit of cost savings, of which staffless libraries are a ludicrous example. If Lenihan hadn’t guaranteed unsecured bonds, and FG upheld his anti-capitalist action (secured bond holders pay a premium) we might have had extended hours with actual Irish workers manning the libraries and paid for their work.
Tailgating? These library’s must be huge.
Big enough to teach you the plural of library
The drunkenness and the children left unsupervised highlight a big flaw in this crazy idea, Health & Safety.
Another big flaw is the countless community events and children learning sessions which will no longer be run.
Well done to the councillors that voted against this.
@Paolo:
How much of this kind of behaviour happens when they are staffed? A comparison would be useful
Why couldn’t communities organise events in libraries regardless? The only blame’s on the stupid parents who drop their child off to use a library after dark with no staff there, as I see it. Why wouldn’t they pay a babysitter to look after their child?
In Fingal, last month FF, FG & so called Independents aligned to both parties came together to vote down my emergency motion to end the scheme.
Oh so staffless libraries are a success? It would be cheaper to hire actual staff than to roll out this nonsense! And destroying my livelihood..
It’s the twenty first century. Time to leave things like libraries, quills and penny farthing bicycles behind.
Seeing as how a person can get a book for free in a library, they’ll always have a certain advantage even over a kindle. Putting them in the same bracket as quills and penny farthings is beyond stupid.
Librarys are without doubt a wonderful amenity. And they do seemto keep up with the times. My only issue is with staff wages. Head librarians are pulling 60k – 70k. The person running the local supermarket is on half that…..
I didn’t say anythimg about switching to Kindles, but there is nothing stopping free book-lending from being done electronically. Personally, paper libraries are useless to be as I am vision impaired, yet I am expected to pay for them throug my taxes.
Ironically, the people tasked with bringing literature into the 21st century have n9 imagination, and continue to tinker around the edges with gimmicks like self-service libraries. Meanwhile, people who don’t live near a library are crying out for broadband services that could benefit everybody.
There’s nothing wrong with my eye sight, but yet in all I have to pay for the “blind persons” tax credit and relief through my taxes.
Libraries are also information and advice centres and are one of the places where citizens can get access to further education, official forms and publications, remedial education, groups and clubs, local announcements, talks etc.
There is usually a librarian and library assistants. The librarian would be qualified at third level in social sciences.
Staffless libraries are book-swap facilities and I’d worry they would excuse councils for continually cutting hours. Libraries in Dublin used to open until 8 every weekday and 5 on Saturdays. That has been cut since the 80s and once cut it doesn’t revert.
My local library still does open until 8 pm, and on Saturdays. In Dublin. Not sure how valid your other points are now.
You’re right about the lack of decent broadband, but where else can people get large print books short of buying them? Libraries have a lot more to offer than books too. A friend of mine got great service there after an eye operation. They have enlargers now for books, large keyboards, online access for people without web access, and DVDs and magazines. I couldn’t subscribe to all the ones I read and am glad to keep up with developments.
@Neal, not Neil.: tell me what library stocks quills and penny farthing bicycles because I’d like to have a look at them. Our library just has books and computers – the computers especially are in great demand and provide a great service.
I’ve been a member of Walkinstown library for 45 years and can honestly say that the staff are the reason that its such a wonderful institution. They brought in a machine a while ago that you can use to take out and return books but I won’t use it. The knowledge that the staff have in recommending authors based on your reading pattern can’t be replaced by machines . Sometimes the old fashioned way just doesn’t need changing and surely with extended opening hours as normal in most areas you don’t need access to an empty library ( unless you’re dropping the kids for free baby sitting ffs)
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