Former Athlone council candidate wants bridge named after Nicky McFadden
A former local election candidate in Athlone has responded to the proposal to name the town's new greenway bridge after Mary O'Rourke by suggesting it ought to be named after another late TD from the town, Nicky McFadden, instead.
The suggestion was made by Carrickobrien resident Tom Cleary, who stood as an Independent candidate in last year's local elections and came close to taking the final seat in the Athlone Moate Municipal District before ultimately losing out to Paul Hogan.
In recent months, Cllr Hogan proposed changing the name of the Athlone Greenway Bridge to the Mary O'Rourke Bridge/Droichead Mháire Uí Ruairc.
The council ran a six-week public consultation on the new name in July and August, and received fourteen submissions. These have not been published by the local authority but Mr Cleary sent a copy of his submission to the Westmeath Independent.
In the submission, he makes no reference to Mary O'Rourke but calls for the bridge to be named after Athlone's Nicky McFadden, who was a Fine Gael TD for Longford/Westmeath when she died in 2014, following a two-year battle with Motor Neurone Disease.
"Regarding the naming of the pedestrian bridge in Athlone, may I suggest that the bridge be named in honour of the late Athlone TD and councillor, Nicky McFadden," Mr Cleary wrote.
"Nicky was a tremendous local representative for the people of Athlone and Longford/Westmeath. She served on the local council, Westmeath county council, the Seanad and Dáil Eireann.
"She was a tireless worker on behalf of all constituents and combined her political life with raising her two young children," he added.
"She was also dedicated to improving her academic career and she secured a Diploma in Legal Studies from Athlone IT.
"Her work ethic and her dedication to her family stand as an example to all in Athlone of what can be achieved with the necessary determination and I believe she deserves commemoration for this.
"Nicky sadly passed away prematurely in 2014 with Motor Neurone Disease. I can think of no better role model for the young women of Athlone and, for that reason, I believe the Greenway bridge should bear her name," his submission concluded.
As we reported last week, another of the submissions, from Coosan resident John Rattigan proposed naming the bridge Independence Bridge.
Mr Rattigan suggested that the new community nursing unit in Clonbrusk, which is due to open next year, could be called 'The Mary O'Rourke Memorial Care Centre'.
A report outlining details of the 14 submissions received on the bridge naming proposal is due to be compiled and presented for councillors' consideration at the October meeting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District.