Public consultation on plan to name new Athlone bridge after Mary O'Rourke closes this Friday

A public consultation on Westmeath County Council's plan to name the new Athlone greenway bridge after the late Mary O'Rourke will close for public submissions this Friday afternoon (August 29).

The proposal to change the name of the Athlone Greenway Bridge to the Mary O’Rourke Bridge / Droichead Mháire Uí Ruairc was opened for public consultation on July 16.

The closing date for public submissions is 4pm on Friday, August 29. To date, no submissions on the proposal are available to view on the Westmeath County Council website.

However, the Westmeath Independent understands that there have been a number of submissions to the local authority on the proposed new name.

Mary O'Rourke, who died last October at the age of 87, was a high-profile national political figure for many years and a former deputy leader of Fianna Fáil.

The greenway bridge opened in 2023, and the proposal to name it after Mary O'Rourke received unanimous backing at a meeting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District after it was proposed by Cllr Paul Hogan.

At a district meeting last month, Cllr Hogan said there were "many reasons" for naming the bridge over the Shannon in honour of Ms O'Rourke, chief among them being the fact that it was "a bridge between east and west," as he alluded to the fact that the late politician was born on the west side of Athlone but made her home on the east side of the town.

Submissions or observations on the naming proposal can be made in writing, addressed to District Administrator, Municipal District of Athlone-Moate, Civic Centre, Church Street, Athlone, or through the Westmeath County Council Consultation Portal at consult.westmeathcoco.ie on or before 4pm on Friday.