SOONER or later, you’ve got to let go of your past. Accept your defeat and move onwards and upwards.
Don’t mind your auld surveys. Take it on the chin and stack your modular homes on someone else’s front lawn.
The Mayor’s recent survey, only days after councillors across the city and county divide voted against his “dog boxes” in the Boro Park, stank of desperation and sour grapes. A little decorum, if you will!
Even double Olympic gold medalist Kellie Harrington came out punching in defence of Janesboro residents and their campaign to save their neighbourhood’s green space.
In fairness, councillors Sarah Kiely (FG) and Catherine Slattery (FF) pack enough punch between them when they have the bit between their teeth, even without the Dublin southpaw in their corner.
This bout between Mayor Moran and councillors was only ever going to go one way — knockout by reality check, served up with people power.
According to the Mayor, though, 87 per cent of 231 respondents to his survey were positive about his SMART homes. Data from his blogpost missives even revealed that 72 per cent of those surveyed described his plans as “visionary”.
Well, Mayor Moran’s visionary plans were clearly lacking in the leadership-and-bringing-people-with-you department, despite the 72 per cent that think he’s the bee’s knees. He may be convinced his survey confirms the backing of his modular homes, but that’s a whole other special meeting.
Martin Luther King Jr once said that the difference between a dreamer and a visionary is that a dreamer has his eyes closed and a visionary has his eyes open. It is perhaps possible that Limerick’s directly-elected visionary has gotten some O’Connell Avenue sand into his peepers and lugs.
The Mayor seems to be from the Kevin Costner school of thought that “if you build it, they will come”. Alas, it appears now he has to make sure that opinions less “visionary” than his own share the vision.
There was no disagreement from any of the local representatives that Limerick is in a housing crisis and that more action is desperately needed. Farsighted John Moran may be, but recent Council episodes suggest he now needs to empower others by listening more, talking less, and trusting in the abilities of all those around him.
Emotional intelligence all round is essential now for Limerick City and County Council’s future success. After some collective life-coaching, councillors, management, and first citizen might even stand a chance of making it through the storms ahead in perfect unity.
Personally, I don’t see it, but maybe my vision’s blurry.
– Local Democracy Reporting Scheme