01/02/2008 -

Mayor Ball, Clarion Hotel, 24th January 2008

Extract from the Mayors speech.

The people of Sligo have a strong association with the Borough Council and their Mayor. In four years time Sligo will achieve a special milestone- the 400th anniversary of Borough status, and this will be an occasion of great celebration for our city.

When I had the daunting privilege of making my inaugural address as Mayor in Sligo City Hall, I stated that my main objective was to work with my colleagues in the Council Chamber to oversee the development of Sligo as a key centre for continuing economic growth.  I expressed the fervent hope that by dovetailing a sense of ambition and purpose with strong community spirit, we could lead a progressive agenda for our city.

At this half way point in my term as Mayor, it is an opportune time to reflect on the recent events that have shaped our city and to anticipate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

I have had the privilege of attending many events and functions during the course of my term, and have had the very pleasant duty of honouring many deserving people in City Hall from all walks of life in our community.

Being a relative newcomer to local politics, serving as Mayor has being a special honour.  And while it is difficult to focus on any particular event or project over the last six months, a number of memories stand out for me.

First and foremost, the hosting of a stage of the World Rally Championship was an unforgettable experience.  The people who planned and delivered this event for Sligo and the Northwest deserve enormous credit.

In this context I must offer a few words of commendation for the board and staff of Sligo I.T., who have been dynamic and committed partners of Sligo Borough Council in the continuing development of our city.

I feel the civic, business and community leaders in Sligo are also to be commended for supporting and facilitating the rally. We were presented with a gift-wrapped opportunity to showcase Sligo to the world stage, and I am proud to say it was an unqualified success – confirmation that Sligo will host a stage of the rally again in 2009 represents formal confirmation of the impeccable standards delivered by the rally organisers.

I can discern a new confidence in Sligo.  Never for one moment did we doubt our capacity to plan and host the largest sporting event in Sligo’s history. While the streetscape of Sligo is being transformed, change and progress is being delivered without compromising our quality of life.

Our exciting recreation and amenity programme has seen the enhancement of many areas of our city and has given a great lift to many communities. The opening of the new recreation area at Seaview Park was a special privilege for me, and I was proud to officiate as mayor to oversee the delivery of this wonderful facility by Sligo Borough Council.

There is a ‘feel-good’ factor about Sligo as we plan for the future.  We share in the successes of people like our guest Dermot Mannion, whose business acumen and drive were widely known and respected in the Middle East before he assumed responsibility for Aer Lingus.  I would like to take this opportunity, Dermot, to personally thank you for taking the time to be with us this evening – you can be assured the people of Sligo are proud of your achievements. 

We also acknowledge and cherish the people who came from abroad to make their mark in Sligo.  People like Willie Mcstay, whose unrivalled popularity in Sligo extends well beyond the realm of sport, and thank you and Mary for making the journey to be with us.

In passing can I mention that next month we will honour another iconic figure with strong Sligo links when we bestow the honour of Freedom of Sligo on Michael Flately.

I believe Sligo is ideally positioned to develop the progress of recent years.  Our ability to plan and deliver major infrastructural projects conveys a confident message to existing and potential businesses that the Sligo Local Authorities have a leading role to play, that we will work with the commercial sector to ensure Sligo is a prime location for enterprise and sustainable development.

In conclusion, can I thank the hard working members of the Mayor’s Ball Committee, without who this function simply couldn’t take place – Dymphna Gorman, Kate Henry, Con Durcan, Pat O' Malley and Enda Scanlon, and a heartfelt ‘Thank You’ to our excellent M.C. for the evening, Niall Delaney.

I also want to offer a special word of thanks to Kevin, Catherine and the staff of the Southern Hotel who couldn’t have been more helpful, and I want to formally and publicly thank them on behalf of our committee.

To each and every one of you, can I say: thank you for coming along this evening.  By supporting the Mayor’s Ball you are supporting a number of worthy local charities, and we are grateful for your attendance.

We are fortunate to live in a confident, vibrant city.  I am optimistic about Sligo’s prospects in the year ahead, and I can assure you that the Borough Council will continue to deliver for the people of Sligo.

Enjoy the evening.