Mayor faces protestors as Christmas lights switched on
Published on Dec.07, 2009
About this video
Mayor Jim McGarry turned on Sligo’s Christmas lights at 4pm on Saturday.
Protestors, who don’t want to see O’Connell Street re-opened to traffic, were there to voice their opinions. Councillor McGarry and two protestors spoke to SligoTV about their conflicting ideas.
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December 8th, 2009 on 12:19 am
what a joke, its a road, that we used to drive on and then we put flowerpots on the street and what hapenz? the town gets all softhearted over the flowerpots…im home in 2 weeks, ill visit my friend jimmy “diamond joe| mcgarry for a neighbourly christmas drink…and then we’ll do laps of the town shaaaammm flowerpots i love the land of hearts desire…nearly christ mass, lets throw away the toys and have a drink…7
December 8th, 2009 on 12:18 pm
I think it was ridiculous in the first place to close of o’connell st the people of the North Ward have been totally cut off and have to sit in their cars in John st , Adelaide st people from the East Ward have to travel the whole block of the town to go to the hospital or the IT l think common sense has prevailed . ! the chamber of commerce are looking for people to come and shop in Sligo yet all they are doing is driving people away . ! How many if anybody was ever knocked down in O ‘ Connell before it was pedestrianised . I take my children for a number of classes a week to the Avolan centre at St Annes l also got to Dunnes stores and Lidl and since o ‘ Connell st has been closed l have been totally inconvienced by the closure .
December 8th, 2009 on 6:14 pm
Sorry SligoTV, I do object at the suggestion that a lot of Sligo people don’t mind that nothing has been done with O’Connell Street. The council failed its duties to keep the street in good order and to improve it. I would suggest that people do mind and need to be more vocal.
December 8th, 2009 on 9:53 pm
I am convinced that money has exchanged hands somewhere. No funding for the pedestrianisation of the street, but money for lots of paving in other parts of the town where it was not needed for now, how does this make sense? Also for the people of North ward, why don’t you ask where the plans are for the bridge that was supposed to be built and also how do the people of the countryside cope, they have a lot further to travel than you if they need to get to the hospital. I don’t feel sorry for you at all,this is not a strong enough case to re-open the street. Ask the Sligo Borough Council, “Where has the funding gone”? Explain that!!
There is a very strong majority for the street to remain closed for the progression of Sligo town and the contentment of feeling safe walking down a street, not getting knocked down!!
December 9th, 2009 on 12:08 am
I live in the East ward and honestly, when o’connell street was open to traffic it took the same time to go to the hospital. Or even more, as wine street it’s collapsed with traffic at peak hours and a single lane in o’connell can’t do much. The only solution for the traffic in this town is to built the Eastern bridge. Come on east ward people, you want to have a car but you dont want a road besides your house? Even with oconnell st open the ambulance will take more than 20 minutes to arrive to the hospital…But some people is just selfish and do not care about the old people living here.
December 9th, 2009 on 12:15 am
Let’s start up a group to support the Eastern bridge! the people against it mobilised to stop it but all the people that wanted it built just did not do anything.
PS: in the irish independent the mayor stated that the main reason to reopen the street was to improve the isolation of the eastern area. (?)
December 9th, 2009 on 12:34 am
Faustino – open your eyes. People who have lived here 50 years here dont want 19,000 cars daily taken out of O’Connell Street and 19,000 per day dumped in centre of greenfield site in east ward. You show no consistency and even less comprehension. Bridge is 120 feet highest point, deck 40 feet above existing road level, 60 foot wide, unlimited axle weights, unrestricted hours, vast volumes of concrete infill and six million vehicle journeys per annum in front of doors where there are 4,500 journeys per year at the moment.
It is amazing that traders in street did not even acknowledge letters, let alone have talks six months ago. What an appalling lack of courtesy to their customers, if seen by them as nothing else.
PS I dont drive and wish to hand back the earth as best I got it. I do and will support pedestrianisation when the policy is not a ‘gun to the head’ or ‘choke chain’ leash around the neck and when money is received to do job fully. I wish to congratulate Mayor Jim McGarry and his Borough Councillors for their courage and consistency on this issue.
December 9th, 2009 on 1:51 am
The mayor of sligo and the bunch of useless clowns in the borough council should go play in the traffic when the street re-opens.
Responding to a protester who was accompanied with her children by telling her to “#### off” is a nice way to react mayor.
December 9th, 2009 on 10:11 am
Its a sad reflection on the town and its elected officials when the Mayor does not know the correct names of the streets, In his interview Mayor Mc Garry referred to GRAFTON STREET, We do not have a GRAFTON Street but we do have a GRATTAN Steet. With such lack of knowledge of the town its easy to see why such poor planning decisions are being made.
December 10th, 2009 on 12:19 am
look whats the point of the pedestrianization anyway?apart from the “pollution” in the already polluted town by cars passing through it, its dead atmosphere I should be able too look from 1 end and not see the other for this to fit purpose but thats not the case cause theres not enough people too accomodate that need.now they have left enough room each side of the street only leaving one lane of traffic to safely pass up and down the street. and as far as car pollution is concerned I think it was alot worse when 200 cars at all busy times is sat stationary all up john st and down adlaide st. so would ye not have something better to do like promoting the local business in town or helping people instead of wasting your energy on a decision already made!
December 13th, 2009 on 12:39 am
As a driver, business person & parent i think its great that o connell st has reopened, plenty of walking space left either side of traffic, john st was way too small to cope with our city traffic, well done, and shame on those who verbally attacked the mayor, so abusive, not very professional !!!
December 17th, 2009 on 1:08 pm
I have supported the closure of o’connell st. These protests are getting completely out of hand and abusive towards our Mayor. I have lost a lot of respect for the ‘friendly protesters’ and the whole idea behind keeping o’connell st closed to traffic.
Shame on those who verbally attacked the Mayor. You won’t be getting my support anymore.