Plan to name roundabout after Joe Walsh shot down

BY JACKIE KEOGH

PLANS to name a Clonakilty roundabout after former agriculture minister, Joe Walsh, have been shot down by Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

In November, Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) tabled a motion calling for the roundabout at the western side of Clonakilty to be named after ‘the greatest minister for agriculture this country has ever seen.’

There wasn’t a single dissenting voice from any of the councillors at that meeting in Clonakilty. In fact, they all unanimously endorsed the motion but expressed surprise – and then displeasure – when the TII later said it was not a runner.

When he heard the written response being read out, Cllr Carroll said: ‘I can’t see what the problem is. There are roundabouts all over the country that have names on them.’ The councillor was told that the policy of naming roundabouts changed in 2010 and that it is no longer permissible.

But Cllr Carroll insisted that the Council officials write back to TII to ‘tell them we are not happy.’

In the letter, Cllr Paul Hayes (SF) said they should also say that the naming of roundabouts ‘personalises the place and adds character.’

Cllr Carroll insisted it should be permissible to name the junction in honour of ‘a great man, and a great advocate of the food industry in West Cork.’

The Fianna Fáil councillor also spoke in glowing terms about the role that Joe Walsh played in developing Clonakilty’s West Cork Technology Park – a facility that today provides employment for more than 1,000 people.