It was heartening to see people of all ages coming out to give their support for 'those who cannot march' as the rally got under way outside Ss.Peter and Paul's Church. The protestors walked defiantly across the Athlone bridge, crossing the historical divide from Connacht into Leinster, and proceeded up to St.Mary's Square where the crowd assembled outside a platform and waitied for the local representatives to emerge and speak via microphone to the onlookers. The crowd's cry of 'Loughloe, Must Not Go' could be heard loud and clear from the office of Fianna Fail TD Mary O'Rourke, located on St. Mary's Square.
Among many emotional speakers, Paul Hogan, a Sinn Féin councillor in Athlone, gave a rousing speech to the spectators, in which he highlighted the apalling treatment of residents in Loughloe House and their families by the HSE. He said, 'I know of residents who were threatened with eviction if they spoke to elected representatives, I know of residents who were threatened with eviction if they refused a bed offered to them by the HSE, I know of residents who were threatened with eviction if they discussed with other residents the closure of Loughloe House or, as they (the HSE) put it "inciting other residents", it is an absolute disgrace!'. Cllr. Hogan continued by highlighting the facts around the case: 'The first Hickway report recommended 37 physical alterations, to-date, of these 37, 34 are now completed, there's 2 on-going which are nearing completion and there is one outstanding which is the issuing of a fire cert when all other works are completed. It's abundantly clear to me that there's an alternative agenda here on behalf of the HSE.'
'They say it's not a cost saving exercise, but I will say this to the HSE, moving people from Gentex to Loughloe House and saving on the lease is a cost-saving exercise, not employing agency nurses where they are needed is a cost-saving exercise and the re-deployment of staff from Loughloe House to St.Vincents is a cost-saving exercise!'.
Cllr. Hogan called on activists to make their message crystal clear to the local government TD, Mary O'Rourke that her public non-participation in supporting this campaign is not good enough and that the people of Athlone have had enough of her and her Fianna Fáil government.
Members of Ógra who took part in this protest march and the others preceding it have vowed to continue to march in support of this campaign as long as the government vow to close down Loughloe House.
3 comments:
I think ógra activists should attend geography classes, South Roscommon Ógra? The Nursing Home in question is clearly in Athlone in county WESTMEATH, The protest was held in Athlone,and Paul Hogan is a Cllr on Athlone town council. Not only have you the wrong town and county but obviously the weong PROVINCE
There is a fairly sizeable chunk of Athlone in South Roscommon, which is where the Ógra cumann is based, so there is no need for a geography lesson, I'm quite sure the cumann know where they are living.
And even if that was not the case, I dont imagine the Loughloe House Campaign would have been too worried if it was kerry Ógra supporting them, they would have been glad of any support.
Residents in Loughloe House come from all parts of Athlone i.e. South Westmeath and South Roscommon. Apart from the fact that Cllr. Paul Hogan strongly supported South Roscommons Ógra's presence at the protest I'm sure that the ardent county Roscommon football fans who reside in Athlone would have serious problems with this farsical statement :) But just to clear matters up I refute the allegation made by the first poster that it is necessary for members of South Roscommon Ógra to attend Geography classes. The chair of that particular cumann was, in fact, a fantastic geographer while attending Secondary School under the auspices of Ms Mary Cryan, therefore, I would ask the anonymous poster to retract this proposterous proposal. In fact, given the posters claim that all of Athlone is located in county Westmeath, it is abundantly clear who should attend the proposed geography lessons.
I would, in fact, suggest something entirely different. What about - and maybe this is off the wall - congratulating cumainn for crossing the treacherous electoral boundarys into areas which are not normally within their remit but that are void of any Ógra presence in order to further our goals of achieving a Socialist Republic?
Incase there is any ambiguity about my post, here are a few interesting links:
www.myhome.ie/residential/.../10...athlone-co-roscommon/242123
www.let.ie/commercial...Athlone-Athlone-Co-Roscommon/44060
www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/...Athlone-Co-Roscommon/909425/
Replys can be sent by post to:
Luke Callinan,
Athlone,
Co.Roscommon
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