September eContact

COUNCILLOR JOE LEONARD ELECTED CATHAOIRLEACH

Outgoing Cathaoirleach Councillor Gerry Murray with newly elected Councillor Joe Leonard

Councillor Joe Leonard has been elected Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council at the Council’s Annual General Meeting held on Monday 28th June.

Councillor Leonard was proposed by Councillor Imelda Henry and was seconded by Councillor Gerard Mullaney. Councillor Thomas Collery was elected Leas Cathaoirleach.

Councillor Leonard thanked the outgoing Cathaoirleach Councillor Gerry Murray and Leas Cathaoirleach Councillor Veronica Cawley for their outstanding service over the last year, saying he was honoured to be elected to the position, and was particularly grateful to his colleagues for electing him unanimously as Cathaoirleach.

COUNCILLOR MATT LYONS ELECTED NEW MAYOR OF SLIGO

Newly elected Mayor Councillor Matt Lyons

At Sligo Borough Council’s AGM Councillor Matt Lyons was elected as the new Mayor of Sligo.

This will be Councillor Lyons’ third term as Mayor, as he previously held the office in 1988 and 1995. Councillor Lyons also serves on the County Council and has over 25 years experience as a public representative.

Outgoing Mayor Councillor Jim McGarry congratulated Councillor Lyons on his election and he thanked the council for their support during his term as Mayor, saying “it had been an honour and privilege to serve the people of Sligo.”

Councillor Lyons hoped to “advance a number of issues in his term as Mayor” and he thanked his colleagues for their support and was looking forward to working with them over the next year. His party colleague Councillor Tony McLoughlin was elected Deputy Mayor.

SLIGO GAOL OPENS TO THE PUBLIC

Sunday 22nd August saw an Open Day at the Old Sligo Gaol as part of Heritage Week 2010. This unique tour bought visitors back to a time when the Gaol had a huge influence within the County and the wider region. Staff from Sligo Local Authorities worked with the Sligo Youth theatre to make the tour an interactive experience.

 
Display showing What the Old Gaol looked like (Photo by James Fraher)

Since 1818, Sligo Gaol has never been open to the public. Sunday 22nd August was the first time ever that the public were able to see at first hand a building that has been secreted away and shielded from public view for almost 200 years. The tours were booked out and such has been the interest that another open day can be arranged for a later date.

Members of the Sligo Youth Theatre taking part in the tour on the Open Day (Photo by James Fraher)

The tour started off with Sligo Youth Theatre reenacting some of the activities of the wardens and prisoners in the jail. The tour then takes you around the gaol buildings. Visitors were also given a history of the architecture of the buildings through the years and background to some of the more famous inmates.

Former inmates of Sligo Gaol include prominent figures associated with the emerging Irish State and figures of national significance are naturally remembered. Michael Davitt was briefly imprisoned in Sligo Gaol in 1879 after his speech at the first meeting of the Land League, held at Gurteen, County Sligo in that year (McTernan, p.422).

In 1918, Michael Collins was held in the Gaol after making a speech against conscription to the British army (McTernan, P.264 and Collins’ Diaries). In his prison diary his recurrent observation is that he could not sleep and ‘must get this wretched mattress changed’. He also records that, ‘By standing on my table I can see Knocknareagh.’

The Youth Theatre bring the past to life on the tour of the Old Gaol (Photo by James Fraher)

On 26th June, 1920, a party of approximately 100 volunteers from the Irish Republican Army (IRA) undertook a raid in Sligo Gaol with the aim of liberating Frank Carty, the OC of the South Sligo Brigade of the IRA and the newly elected Sinn Fein council of Sligo Town Council. The IRA members forced open the main gate of the Gaol and the inner doors. They then forced the night watchman to turn over the keys to the cells and they released Carty who was taken away in a waiting motor car. In 1915, the Italian, Angelo DeLucia was the last man appointed to be hung in Sligo, along with his mistress accomplice Jane Reynolds who bore a child to DeLucia whilst serving her sentence yet both were pardoned after a petition was organised.

View into what would have been the yard where prisoners broke rock and exercised (Photo by James Fraher)

When the new Gaol was first opened, executions took place on the open ground in front of the Gaol. The last public execution is said to have been that of Matthew Phibbs, ‘the Ballymote Slasher’, on the 19th August, 1861 (some elements of the contemporary account suggest that he may not actually have been executed in public). After 1862, executions took place in the treadmill yard, which was also referred to as ‘The Hangman’s Yard’. The bodies of executed prisoners were interred in the yard and there seems to be no evidence of exhumations and re-interment before construction of the existing machinery yard.

The final public hanging at Sligo Gaol occurred on 19th August 1861 when 26 year old Ballymote native Mathew Phibbs, also known as the "Ash Lane Murderer", was hung for murdering William and Fanny Callaghan and a servant girl Anne Mooney in January of the same year. The last person to be hanged within the prison was a Mr. Doherty of Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim in 1903 who was convicted of murdering his son.

Inside on of the larger cells where up to a dozen prisoners could be held at one time (Photo by James Fraher)

During the 1950s the number of prisoners detained in the prison was low and dropped to less than 15. The prison subsequently closed on 5 June 1956 after the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, James Everett passed the Sligo Prison Closing Order, 1956 on 25 April 1956 and the prisoners were transferred to Mountjoy Prison. The last Governor of the Gaol was John Francis Moody.

After its closure in 1956, the complex passed to Sligo County Council and remained largely unused. In 1963 the Council decided to use the Gaol as a store and machinery yard. In due course, several important components of the structure, including the tread mill, portions of the cell blocks, the infirmary, female prison and parts of the front south boundary wall and main entrance were, unfortunately, demolished to facilitate the construction of a fire station by Sligo County Council.

Today, the cell blocks are largely unused except for storage and a small amount of workshop space. The remainder of the complex continues in a variety of uses including office accommodation in the Governor’s House and Marshalsea (Debtors Prison) and, until 2010, a machinery yard with associated outbuildings of recent origin.

Siobhán Ryan, Heritage Officer with Sligo County Council outlined that a Conservation Plan has been prepared for Sligo Gaol. At its simplest, a conservation plan is a document which explains why a site is significant and how that significance will be retained in any future use, alteration, development or repair. ‘It is about putting policies in place to protect significance, but it is not a management plan or programme of conservation works per se’ she added.

Once the draft conservation plan is finalised it will be presented to Sligo County Council before being put on public display as part of the public consultation phase. It is expected that public consultation will take place during the Autumn.

The Old Gaol as is stands today (Poto by James Fraher)

The Open Day was the first step towards raising awareness of Sligo Gaol and the important role that it has played in the lives of many people in County Sligo and the surrounding counties and the way that it reflected wider social change.

DRAFT SLIGO COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2011-2017

Public display and consultation – 30 June to 8 September 2010

Sligo County Council has prepared a Draft Development Plan for County Sligo (CDP) for the period 2011 to 2017. Your views on the Draft Plan and associated documents including the Environmental Report are invited.

All submissions and observations should be made in writing (hard copy or e-mail) headed “Draft Sligo County Development Plan 2011–2017”

Submissions can also be e-mailed to the Development Planning Unit at dpu@sligococo.ie or can be submitted online.

All written submissions or observations received by 4.00 pm on Wednesday 8th September 2010 will be taken into consideration before the making of the Plan.

SLIGO CIVIL DEFENCE

Winter training Schedule 2010 / 2011

Registration / introduction for all new / potential volunteers to Civil Defence will take place in the following centres 8pm – 10pm on the dates specified next to the centre

Come and meet the instructors and find out about the type of skills available to you within Civil Defence.

• Volunteers must be 17 years old
• Once registered training will commence in each of the centres week commencing 4th October. Details of this will be available on registration night

Centres are as follows:

Ballymote Area

Tuesday 21st September 8pm –10pm
Pastoral centre in Ballymote.
Contact Annie Feely at 071-9183761 if further details required

Sligo Town

Wednesday 22nd September 8pm –10pm
Control Centre rear of Government Buildings Cranmore.
Contact Marion Davis at 071-9142702 if further details required

Cloonloo/Gurteen Area

Thursday 23rd September 8pm 10pm
Cloonloo Parish Hall.
Contact Kathleen O’Gara at 071-9663007 or Cathal O’Gara at 086-8318192 if further details required

Enniscrone Area

Tuesday night 28th September 8pm – 10pm 
Fire Station in Enniscrone.
Contact Seamus Egan at 086-8808039 if further details required

Dromore West and Easkey Areas 

Wednesday night 29th September 8pm – 10pm.
Community Centre Dromore West, Co. Sligo.
Contact Paddy Sheridan at 096-47332 / 087-2632419 if further details required

Grange area

Thursday night 30th September 8pm – 10pm 
Grange VEC.
Contact Annie Mullaney at 071-9166309 or Annemarie Mitchell at 071-9163797 if further details required.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION UPDATE

Local Initiative allows for the advancing of archaeological excavations on the route of the proposed N17 Tobercurry Bypass.

N17 Tobercurry Bypass

The N17 Tobercurry Bypass which is being advanced in house by the design team of Sligo County Council’s National Road Design Office is currently at Phase 4 of the NRA’s Project Management Guidelines. The Design Report, Environmental Impact Statement and Compulsory Purchase Order are currently being finalised after which point funding will be awaited to publish the EIS and CPO.

Joint Venture

‘Mitigation by Excavation’ of known archaeological sites along the route prior to the commencement of construction is a stated requirement in the EIS. A recent joint venture between Sligo County Council and the Institute of Technology Sligo has provided the Local Authority with the opportunity to advance these excavations through the investigation of a known medieval settlement site at Tobertelly Townland and in so doing support IT Sligo in the ongoing development of its Applied Archaeology 3rd level degree course.

The initiative, funded by the National Roads Authority took place in June/July 2010 following approval of the NRA and the National Monument Service of the Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government.

Institute of Technology Sligo Students carry out excavations at Tobertelly, on the route of the proposed N17 Tobercurry Bypass (June 2010)

Fieldwork and Findings

The exploratory excavations involved 3 archaeologists and 18 Applied Archaeology students from the Institute of Technology and lasted for 2 weeks under the direction of Chris Reid of IT Sligo. Works were monitored by the Archaeology Section of the NRA and Sligo County Council who acted as PSCS.

The archaeological team focussed on the site of an enclosure in Tobertelly townland which had been discovered during an aerial photographic survey back in 2004.

This D-shaped enclosure, in low lying ground adjacent to the now disused railway line was dated in 2006 by radiocarbon dating - we know from this that the site was in use between AD 550-660, during the Early Medieval period.

The 2010 investigations explored the area immediately North of the enclosure where discoveries included the enclosing ditch and bank which marked the perimeter of the enclosure, several spreads of brushwood, an area of burning and a number of other pits and cut features all of which denote activity associated with the medieval settlement or an even earlier human presence on site. Excavated material including charcoal, stone and wood has been brought back to the laboratories of IT Sligo for further analysis and radiocarbon dating and this postexcavation work shall tell us more in the coming months of the period the site was occupied and the activities that took place there. It is the intention to seek further funding and approval to continue the partnership in 2011 and continue the investigation of the 1,500 year old site.

Excavations at Tobertelly, on the route of the proposed N17 Tobercurry Bypass (June 2010)

Report compiled by:
Fergus Meehan, Sligo County Council
Michael MacDonagh, National Roads Authority

The Project has been  supported by EU’s PEACE III Programme managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Sligo County Council on behalf of Sligo Peace and Reconciliation Partnership Committee

LUNCH TIME LECTURES IN COUNTY COUNCIL CHAMBER

Commencing on Tuesday 19th October Sligo Peace III Partnership with the help of the Office of Community and Enterprise, Sligo County Council, will be organising a series of lunchtime lectures to take place in the County Chamber.

The lectures will focus on the challenge of inclusion and an exciting range of challenging, interesting and entertaining speakers is planned.

To date confirmed speakers include Ethine McCrod, County Monaghan who has a history of involvement in peace work and Belfast based journalist Tim Brannigan, Tim recently published biography ‘Where are you really from?’ tells his story of growing up black in Belfast against the backdrop of the troubles.

Both speakers will draw on their vast experience and published works and we are delighted to have speakers of this calibre confirmed. Further details will be circulated once the full programme has been finalised.

The lunchtime lectures will form part of the Sligo’s Social Inclusion/Active Citizenship Week which commences on 17th October. The lectures are supported by EU’s PEACE III Programme managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Sligo County Council on behalf of Sligo Peace & Reconciliation Partnership Committee.

The lectures will take place from 1 - 2pm on Tuesday 19th and 26th October and Tuesday 2nd and 9th November and lunch will be served.

Further information is available from Peace III Development Officer, Bridie Sweeney on extension 1821 or Dolores McDonagh, Acting Secretary, Peace III Partnership on extension 1802.

CULTURE NIGHT SLIGO 2010

Friday 24th September, 6pm – 10pm

Free late night culture for all ages and all the family

What will you see?

Over 50 events offer an impressive programme of free late night culture for all ages and all the family in Sligo. From 6pm to 10pm enjoy storytelling, music, theatre, backstage tours, exhibitions, art installations, films, projections, light graffiti and architecture in theatres, galleries, libraries, artist studios, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, buses, shopping centres and outdoors.

Choose from a host of workshops for all ages. Meet artists and craftspeople at work. Explore the work of the Yeats Brothers including ‘The Living Ginger’ Jack B. exhibition at The Model and the permanent exhibition on the life and career of W. B. at the Yeats Memorial Building.

What is Culture? What is Sligo? Create your own unique Culture Night Postcard in words and images. Bring it along to Tobergal Lane Café and be part of the Culture Night Postcard Exhibition.

Watch out for special menus and grab a bite on the Culture Night Food Trail at over 26 cafés, restaurants and food outlets around Sligo city and at the Tobergal Lane Market.

Hop on a Sligo Music Bus to get in the mood for Culture Night Sligo with Bus Eireann. Will your route be jazzy, choral, classical, trad? Catch a musical bus into town and ask about the special late night return services operating on some routes. Sligo Concert Band will perform at Bus Eireann Station.

Imagine being in 3 places at the one time! Young readers and authors can do so at Sligo Library on Stephen Street with Kids Own, part of a north-south initiative connecting young readers and literature in a special, real-time event on Culture Night. Open Studio will use the latest technology to let you take a virtual tour of the studio of a professional children’s writer or illustrator based in another city, to watch, ask questions and share your own work.

For a unique bird’s eye view of Sligo that all the family can explore, walk across the city through the use of unique large format aerial photographs. Examine how Sligo has evolved in the last 5 years with the Irish Architecture Foundation.

Sligo city’s professional arts venues including The Hawks Well, The Model, The Blue Raincoat Theatre Company and The Hamilton Gallery will open until 10pm with free exhibitions, performances, film screenings, tours, talks and much much more. Experience The Dream Catcher with the Fine Art and Performing Arts Departments on the Institute of Technology Campus.

One of the outdoor screenings from Culture Night 2009

Artist-led events will bring the streets of Sligo alive. Follow the Pied Piper and the Carnival Parade from one discovery to another; Find the butterflies who will dust you down with their magic; Take part in a Family Treasure Hunt and be in with the chance to win a family flight sponsored by Sligo Airport; Interact with audio and visual equipment and project your work onto buildings in the centre of Sligo; Watch SLIGLOW² light up the city as artists and photographers collaborate in light painting and graffiti.

Pick up a brochure or contact Sligo Arts Service (071) 911 1823. Full information on www.sligoarts.ie and www.culturenight.ie.

Musicians entertain people on O’Connell street at Culture Night in Sligo last year

Culture Night is a national initiative co-ordinated by Temple Bar Cultural Trust and supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport in partnership with the Arts Service of Sligo County Council and Sligo Borough Council, the Culture Night Sligo Committee and the participating cultural organisations and individuals.

KEMPTON STUDENTS VISIT SLIGO

This year marks the 21st anniversary of Sligo’s twinning association with Kempten, and in that time many links have been developed at civic, cultural and community level.

Mayor Councillor Matt Lyons visited Kempten in early August as part of the anniversary celebrations, and he recently hosted a reception in City Hall for a student group from Kempten.

Mayor Lyons with Kempton teacher, Dietlinde Kautz in City Hall at reception hosted for visiting students

The students had done a project on Ireland over the last year and they choose Sligo as the place to visit due to the twinning with Sligo. The students were accompanied by Claudia Michna Kempten Town Twinning who is responsible for all twinning matters with Sligo and Dietlinde Kautz their English teacher who herself spent a yearas a student in Maynooth College while studying English.

Mayor Councillor Matt Lyons outside City Hall with students and teachers from Kempton and staff of Sligo Borough Council

Their itinerary in Sligo included visits to Sligo IT and Mercy College, the Model Arts Centre and a visit to a Gaelic Football workshop. They were also bought out to Standhill for surfing lessons which, by all accounts the students thoroughly enjoyed.

IBAL SURVEY RESULTS

Sligo has been ranked the cleanest town in Connacht and ranked 11th nationally in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey. Sligo was one of 53 towns surveyed.

Mayor Councillor Matt Lyons welcomed the survey findings, and attributes Sligo’s high ranking to ‘the hard work of the dedicated staff involved. While there is always an element of chance attached to periodic surveys, by and large Sligo has fared very well in the anti-litter surveys. Sligo Borough Council staff will continue to work hard to keep our streets free of litter, but it is important to stress this is an issue for all our citizens. I would urge the people of Sligo to play their part in maintaining Sligo’s reputation as a clean, hospitable and friendly city.’

Full survey results available on www.ibal.ie

SUCCESS FOR SLIGO WOMAN AT EUROPEAN TRANSPLANT AND DIALYSIS GAMES

Sligo woman Bridie Nicholson helped Ireland record its best performance ever at the recent European Transplant and Dialysis Games held in Ireland for the first time. Bridie won 2 bronze and 1 silver medal to contribute to Ireland’s overall total of 119 medals putting them second overall in the medals table.

This was the sixth time the games, which are a biennial event, have been held. Over 350 athletes from 24 European countries competed in events such as cycling, track and field, petanque, darts, tennis and the marathon. The theme of the games was “The Gift of Life” which was to highlight the importance of organ donation and the important role that sport plays in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, both physically and psychologically.

After having suffered from diabetes for 30 years Bridie Nicholson underwent a kidney and pancreas transplant 11 years ago. Her recent success adds to her already impressive collection of previous European and World Championship medals. This time round Bridie won a silver medal in the Darts Singles Women event, a bronze in the Petanque Women’s Doubles and a bronze in the Petanque Women’s singles. Bridie, who had previously won gold in the Petanque Singles at the World Transplant Games was delighted with her bronze medal, saying the standard is improving every time the games are held.

Sligo Woman Bridie Nicholson with team mates Monica Finn, Elaine Maguire and Sandra Doyle at the recent European Transplant Games in Dublin

A member of the Sligo Petanque Club, Bridie plays and practices on a purpose built pitch at Mitchell Curley Park in Sligo. She is already planning for the World Transplant games next year in Sweden.

SLIGO PUBLIC HAVE THEIR SAY ON JOINT POLICING

Sligo Borough Joint Policing Committee’s Public Consultation Meeting in Northside Resource Centre, Forthill, discussed the Sligo/Leitrim  Annual Garda Policing Plan 2011 and outlined the role and functions area of the role of the committee.

Chairperson of the Policing Committee Councillor Chris MacManus highlighted the importance of the committee’s work:

‘Each year the local Sligo\Leitrim Division of An Garda Siochana prepare and then implement a Policing Plan for the Sligo\Leitrim area. For the first time in this region a local community will be able to assist that process by meeting and discussing a range of issues such as Crime, Public Order, Effective Roads Policing and Community Engagement. This input from the public will then inform and assist An Garda Siochana as they prepare the 2011 Policing Plan for this area.

Sligo Borough JPC views this type of public consultation as being of high importance. This was the second public meeting since I became Chair twelve months ago and I intend to continue this level of engagement with the public over the next number of years.

I ask that people within our community, would no longer stand on the sidelines pointing out what is wrong in Sligo, but would get involved, engage with ourselves and An Garda Siochana and have your say in how our community should be policed.’

Chairperson of Sligo Borough JPC, Councillor Chris MacManus and Vice Chair, Councillor David Cawley promote the Sligo/Leitrim Policing Plan 2011