Athlone mourns one of its own
The large numbers signing the book of condolence at Athlone Civic Offices bore rich testament to the respect the late Finance Minister engendered in his native town.
The Lenihan family is part and parcel of the Athlone political and social world. They are of Athlone.
Of course, there were many able members of the family who remain on the political scene in Athlone, but even
when political life ensured the departure of Brian senior to Dublin, when the late Brian junior was aged just 12, the exiled Lenihans never forgot Athlone.
The late Brian was a regular visitor back to Athlone - he was always proud of his roots and never one to miss an opportunity to refer to his origins.
Poignantly, his last public appearance was late in 2010 when he attended the conferring of his aunt Mary O'Rourke with a distinguished fellowship at Athlone IT.
The extent of his close relationship with his aunt, whilst always known, was abundantly clear to see in her devastated reaction to his passing.
Her comment on Pat Kenny's RTE Radio One show on Thursday last that she felt her life had almost ended was unbearably sad.
There have been many personal tributes paid to the bravery of the former Finance Minister, who despite his own diagnosis of prostrate cancer, took on the challenge of dealing with the nation's finances with characteristic determination.
His most noble achievement though must surely have been his ability to make us all forget how ill he was.
It was to his eternal credit that he bore his illness privately, refusing to use it as a shield from public criticism.
And whilst the passing of a public figure rarely elicits anything but sympathy, the sheer depth and sincerity of the many tribute from political friends and foes alike indicates that this was a man of whose like we will rarely see again in public life.
St Vincent's must be protected
There have long been concerns over the future of St Vincent's hospital, or Care Centre as it is officially known.
Proposals by the HSE to sell off the site to fund the doomed original primary care plan were the first indications to many of a questionable commitment to the long-term future of the facility.
The closure of nearby Loughloe House only intensified the fears - and now there are genuine concerns that St Vincent's is quietly being wound down.
There have been no new admissions for some time to the facility, bar those patients who relocated from Loughloe House.
The issue was discussed in the town council chambers last week, at the instigation of Cllr Aengus O'Rourke, whose motion sparked a lengthy and interesting debate.
In response, the HSE, in an attempt to calm fears, has stated that there is no intention to close the facility or to close beds there.
It said the moratorium on staff appointments and issues surrounding staff availability were to blame for the recent decline in bed numbers.
Whilst the HSE's public comment was welcome, it contradicted that of the Minister for Health, who only last week said the decisions not to allow further admissions was to allow capacity to be created to facilitate the transfer of a prioritised client with complex needs from a hospital in Dublin to Athlone.
So what's the real reason for the decline in bed numbers?
We have little enough public health infrastructure in South Westmeath without losing St Vincent's.
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