Quotes of the Year

Lotto joy “She was saying 'I've four numbers', then five and then six and then she was crying and laughing all at once,†- Fardrum resident Tommy Joyce recalls the moment in January when his partner, Michelle Ryan, scooped the lotto jackpot of €7.4 million. Haiti earthquake “A child said to me that when the earthquake happened, the world stopped,†- Bower nun Sr Maria Hawkes, who is based in Haiti, reflects on the devastating earthquake which occurred there early in 2010. Civil Partnership “In a world fraught with difficulties and which is daily witness to hatred in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan and even in the talks under way nearer home, surely we should support simple legislation giving certainty to couples of the same sex who wish to express their devotion and fidelity and give shape to their relationship,†- Athlone TD Mary O'Rourke on the Civil Partnership Bill which would give people in same-sex relationships many of the rights of married couples. The bill was passed by the Dáil during the summer and came into force on January 1, 2011. FG fails George Lee “I still believe that Enda Kenny is a team captain but collectively, as a party, we have failed George Lee,†- Athlone Senator Nicky McFadden responds to Lee's announcement in February that he was quitting politics just nine months after he was elected as a Fine Gael TD. Thumbs up “One of Ireland's most vibrant towns, with a mix of stylish modern developments, big shopping centres and small winding streets, home to independent businesses,†- the description of Athlone in the 2010 edition of the Lonely Planet guide to Ireland. The book gave Westmeath the thumbs up, saying it offered “a wealth of attractions†to visitors. Election coming “I don't know when it's coming, but I can smell it,†- Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny comments on the next general election during a visit to Athlone last February. Council fined “Does the county manager pay the fines out of his pocket? No. Do officers pay for failings? No. Who pays? The taxpayer. It's just moving money from one pocket to the other. What does it mean? Absolutely nothing. Will anyone lose their job? No. Will anyone be chastised? No. It's a great game of fun, one statutory body prosecuting another,†- Judge John Neilan comments on a case last February in which Westmeath County Council was ordered to pay €15,750 to the Environmental Protection Agency for offences including a failure to properly regulate odours from the Ballydonagh landfill site. Candid exchange “It was a candid and honest exchange on the crisis in the church. Personally, I was helped by it and I expect that my colleagues were too,†- The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, Colm O'Reilly, on the meeting which he and the other Irish Bishops had with Pope Benedict in Rome in February. €60k playground “You're putting a playground at derelict council houses. You're planning to allocate €60,000 to a playground and behind it there's rubbish and, as you said yourself, there's no natural surveillance. And you want to spend €100,000 on a pitch but I'm not convinced that it won't be wrecked,†- Cllr Sheila Buckley Byrne takes issue with Athlone Town Council's plans for the Willow Park area. Funding for ITs “Mr Sutherland may have associated institutes of technology with the negative stereotype of Ballygobackwards, but in truth it is his own remark that belongs in the farcical realm of Ballymagash,†- AIT President Ciarán †Catháin hits back at Former European Commissioner Peter Sutherland after he stated in the national media that he was opposed to the even distribution of resources between top universities and a 'Ballygobackwards RTC'. Pipe bombs were viable devices “The pipe bombs were viable, they were explosive devices. Obviously they posed a risk to everybody in the vicinity,†- Superintendent Aidan Glacken on the planting of two pipe bombs outside head shops in Athlone last March. Naked rugby player “Naked rugby player disturbs woman's sleep,†- a headline in this newspaper after a woman phoned RTÉ's 'Liveline' to complain that an unclothed member of the Irish Under-20 rugby team knocked on the door of her room at the Athlone Springs Hotel at 3am. The hotel's management compensated her and her husband by offering them a weekend away with their compliments. Women priests “It's incredible in this day and age that you can deny a person the right to exercise a ministry because of their gender,†- Athlone priest Fr Shay Casey backs a call to allow women become priests. Hospice honoured “We are just a front for the people who did the hard work in the community. To all of you, thank you for your help,†- Dr Tony Lowry of the South Westmeath Hospice Committee, the overall winners of the 2010 Athlone People of the Year Award. Head shops “You don't need these head shops. You can leave this courthouse and within minutes you can buy any illegal substance you want. That's the case not just in Athlone but throughout the country... When I was growing up of course there were people who would have too much to drink, but now we see cases where defendants bite people's fingers off and lash out uncontrollably because of their levels of intoxication,†- At Athlone District Court, Judge John Neilan laments a growing level of viciousness in our society. Child welfare “The bureaucratic nonsense which goes on in the HSE must be stopped. The rights of the child should be vindicated, but in order to get that through to the managers of the HSE they'd have to have 40 meetings, 40 conferences, and whatever you're having yourself as Marian Finucane would say,†- Judge John Neilan criticises the HSE over its handling of child welfare matters during a hearing at Athlone District Court in May. Neilan retirement “He was a good judge of character who could tell the difference between the ones who deserved a break and the ones who needed to be taught a lesson,†- Athlone solicitor Grainne O'Neill pays tribute to Judge Neilan after his retirement was announced in May. Opinion polls “There is nothing more I can say to Enda about turning around the results of the various opinion polls in the last few months. The best thing for him to do, in his interests, in the interests of the party and the interests of the country, is to stand aside,†- Deputy Denis Naughten calls on Enda Kenny to step down as Fine Gael leader during the party's leadership challenge in June. Stronger leader “It didn't go the way I had hoped it would, but Enda Kenny came out of it a much stronger leader. It has cleared up issues about his leadership that have been hanging about for some time,†- Deputy Naughten in the aftermath of Richard Bruton's failed leadership challenge. Heartless eviction “Heartless Senseless Eviction†and “Horrible Stupid Eejits†- two protesters' placards suggest what the letters 'HSE' now stand for after it announced that Athlone's Loughloe House nursing home was to close. China development “This is like 100 normal job announcements. It's beyond anything we have seen before,†- Cllr Aengus O'Rourke comments on the scale of the massive Chinese investment project which has been mooted for the Creggan area of Athlone. Primary Care “The detailed plan was (the Primary Care Centre in) Clonbrusk, and to move services there. That was the target. Right now there is no detailed plan,†- Joe Ruane, the HSE's Local Health Manager for Longford/ Westmeath, replies in June to Cllr O'Rourke's question about whether there was a detailed plan for future health services in Athlone. Volcanic ash “There could be worse places to be stuck,†- Midlands 103 presenter Will Faulkner on being left stranded in Tenerife as a result of the volcanic ash cloud which resulted in thousands of flights being cancelled in April and May. Armageddon “We are carrying on here as if people are waiting for Armageddon. Let's keep the head here and get on with our lives and not be putting the head down wondering how are we going to get out of this,†- Taoiseach Brian Cowen tries to instill confidence in the economy at the Midland Gateway Chamber Ambassadors Ball in May. Consumer spend “Increased confidence will lead to increased consumer spending as people feel less need to save everything they can out of fear of the economic future,†- The Taoiseach addressing a Fianna Fáil Midlands Regional Conference entitled 'Turning the Corner,' which took place in Athlone in late May. Turf cutting ban “I know of normal decent people who have said they are going to continue cutting turf and if this means they'll be put out on the street or sent to jail for it then so be it,†- Curraghboy councillor Tony Ward reacts to the introduction of a ban on turf cutting at 32 bogs, including nine in County Roscommon. Prime Time special “I have no comment. I wouldn't dream of attempting to say anything against the might of the spin of RTÉ,†- Deputy Mary O'Rourke when asked about national media reports that she angrily berated Miriam O'Callaghan for not including her in a special edition of the 'Prime Time' programme which was broadcast from Athlone in June. triAthlone “This was unprecedented and everyone deserves to take a step back, enjoy what we've achieved and then decide whether there's a desire, will or need to continue,†- triAthlone CEO Liam Heavin discusses the future of the event after the European Triathlon Championships brought thousands of visitors to the town in July. Music festival “Without a doubt we have taken a knock. We are disappointed with the numbers, but we're delighted with the feedback from people who were leaving at the end of the festival and telling us 'Please come back next year, we'll tell everybody about it and encourage them to come',†- Ultan Moran, organiser of the inaugural Athlone Music Festival, on the disappointing attendance at last summer's event which featured performances by the likes of Imelda May and The Undertones. Justice for whom? “They call it the Department of Justice. Where is the justice for us?†- Athlone woman Gillian Olabode on the deportation of her husband to Nigeria. Local champion “I can't believe the stuff people are saying, that I'm giving people a lift or giving them pride. If I do then that's enough for me. It might all be worth it,†- Ballinahown man Mark Rohan after returning home from Canada where he won a gold medal at the World Paracycling Championships in August. Poisoned Chalice “Even if you put the Pope in there, it wouldn't make a difference,†- the leadership of Fianna Fáil was now something of a poisoned chalice according to party member Cllr Kevin 'Boxer' Moran in September. Not suited “I'm definitely not running for President. I don't think I'd be suited to it,†Deputy Mary O'Rourke rules out a bid for the Áras. Joyless Greens “Joyless and punitive, yes, that's what I said. Everyone thought being Green would be happy, it just seems it's not a happy land,†- Deputy O'Rourke stands by her claim that some of the Green Party's policies are 'joyless' and 'punitive'. Highest drink driving reading “Did he have Baileys on his cornflakes?†- At Athlone District Court, Judge Patrick Clyne asks how one drink driver managed to have so much alcohol in his system. The defendant's breath test result was “the highest-ever reading†the judge had encountered. Living nightmare “It was a living nightmare. If I was asked to do it again I'd run a mile,†- TV presenter and Athlone native Rob Ross has no intention of returning to Mount Everest after altitude sickness thwarted his charity trek up the mountain in October. Saudi success “It's a huge relief to people back home to get something like this, and we can now see that there is a market overseas which will help to secure our business in the years to come,†- Jason Larkin, General Manager of the Athlone-based Woodfit Ltd, comments on the company securing a €1.5m contract to help build a university in Saudi Arabia. Flood prevention “The council has done nothing apart from clean out two drains here. If it's not a council estate they won't do anything for you. Basically if you're a person who's out there working, doing your best, and keeping your head above water then there's no help available for you. You can feck off, basically,†- Veronica Keenan, whose home in The Park, Athlone, was flooded in November 2009, felt the council had not done nearly enough to prevent a repeat of the flooding. Wind farms “The more you look at this, the more questions there are and until they are answered you have to say stall the digger,†- Fearghal McHugh, Chairman of the South Roscommon Wind Turbine Action Group speaks at a public meeting in November in which many locals expressed opposition to plans for an €80m windfarm near Dysart. Half mast “This nation has died,†- Roscommon Mayor Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, calling for the Tricolour to fly at half mast outside the county buildings in Roscommon in November, following the arrival of the IMF. Change of heart “Thanks for all your good wishes. Twitter is magic,†- Deputy Mary O'Rourke 'tweets' about the response to her announcement that she will put herself forward to run in the next general election. The local TD's views on the popular social networking website changed over the course of the year. Earlier she had said Twitter was only for “exhibitionists†who wanted to boost their ego. Election expenses “When you got elected the time before on six votes you don't take anything for granted,†- Cllr Tom Allen, a.k.a. TR Dallas, reveals why he topped the 2009 local election spending charts in Westmeath, with a final campaign bill of €7,446. Unfortuate accident “We are still making inquiries but at this stage it looks like it was caused by an unfortunate accident,†- Inspector Aidan Minnock on the fire which destroyed O'Neill's Bar and the neighbouring Finlay Auctioneering premises in Athlone three days before Christmas. Silver surfer “I'm a bit late starting computers but better late than never I suppose!†- 80-year-old Annie Lackey, of Beechpark West, as she collected a certificate to mark her completion of an eight-week course in computers at Athlone Library.