LIMERICK councillors are holy terrors for playgrounds. You just can’t keep them away from the climbing frames and monkey bars.
Not so long ago, Priomh Chomhairleoir of Limerick City and County Council (LCCC), Cllr Dan McSweeney, was snapped grinning gleefully on the swings after the transformation of the playground in the People’s Park. Big happy head on him, a joy to see(-saw).
But it’s not all fun and games, and at the first full meeting of Limerick City and County Council recently, under the watchful gaze of new directly-elected caregiver John Moran, some of the 40 little dumplings were fierce cranky altogether. Maybe they had been too long on the whirl spinners were yet to acclimatise to the staid air in County Hall.
Moran was firm but fair with his bambinos over on the Fine Gael side of the nursery. Once their little backsides were powdered and their bottles filled, they were slightly more amenable to playing in the big boys’ side of the chamber.
Of course, right now, they are happy out. And while Moran works round the clock in City Hall, his irritable rug-rats are busy eating sand and poking jellyfish down in Costa del Kilkee.
But the new school term isn’t far off and they will be back to the grind before too long. Let them eat winkles while the sun shines, I say, they put in the work when it counts.
Still, playgrounds are never far from our elected local representatives’ minds. And with news this week that LCCC intends to hold a consultation with the Caherdavin community on the proposed playground in early September, they’ll be playing duck duck goose in Merchants Quay yet when the holidays are over.
Social Democrats councillor Shane Hickey-O’Mara, infant adjacent himself, boldly asked at last month’s meeting of the Metropolitan District for an update on proposed plans for a Caherdavin playground.
Now, anyone following the progress of this proposed amenity could have told him that Fine Gael councillor Olivia O’Sullivan comes over all Veruca Salt when it comes to talk of a Caherdavin playground.
Just days before the local election, O’Sullivan claimed that only one person (guess which one) had been fighting for a Caherdavin Playground in the last five years. And when she wants a squirrel, let me tell you, it better be trained!
This foot-stomping outburst came after the competition, Independent local election candidate for City North Pat O’Neill, called on the Council to bring forward plans for a playground in Caherdavin.
Then, of course, there was the spat between herself and the one and only Willie O’Dea (FF) back in 2020 over a €100,000 allocation for local improvement works including a playground at Caherdavin Community Park.
Could they not just all work together, instead of focusing on taking all the credit for its delivery? There won’t be another local election for five years — enough of the tug-of-war! The sandbox – please God there’s a sandbox – is big enough for everyone.
