LETTER: ‘Whingers' organised that Bantry meeting

SIR – THERE was an ill-conceived general meeting open to the public held in recent times in Bantry to ‘discuss’ why Bantry is so lacking in everything from shopping to facilities and just plain ‘get-up-and-go’.

Had the organisers of this circus waited just a little bit longer, they would have seen there is loads of stuff in the pipeline and in train which is of huge benefit to the town and surrounding areas.

As it stands, Bantry is a place of supreme beauty and space, with a most magnificent bay which rivals anything anywhere in the world. There is currently a huge marina development under way which is costing millions of euro and when it is finished it will be the jewel in the crown of Bantry Bay.

The meeting was held to do down the area insofar as I can discern, and was in no way accurate in its ridiculous criticisms of attendant local politicians who had little responsibility in decision-making, save for ongoing encouragement for projects designed for Bantry. There were silly testimonials and browbeating from locals and ‘blocals’ and the merely passing-through, who were at the meeting, and appeared blissfully unaware of all the good things happening in the locality – not least the erection of two new supermarkets.

All of this knowledge was available at the time but people seemed to only wish to criticise. Bantry is thriving and for peace and tranquillity

there is nowhere which can match the place. The things people were complaining about are happening already, so this was a meeting too far – which went nowhere – except for those whingers who like the sound of their own voices every twenty years or so.

All I can add to all that’s progressive and optimistic about Bantry is that the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ of which I felt initially critical as a concept myself is proving to be a huge draw for tourists in West Cork generally.

The news is all good at this point –  the best we have known in fact. So let us enjoy the huge progress.

Robert Sullivan,

Bantry,

Co Cork.