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With the abolition of local town councils now imminent, a decision has finally been reached in Lismore as to the allocation of its remaining funds.

After much discussion and debate, too-ing and fro-ing, hand-wringing and soul searching, it was finally decided by Lismore Town Council on Monday night last to split the money they've left in their funds - around €29,000 - evenly between Lismore Soccer Club and the Cotton Library at St Carthage's Cathedral. A three-man deputation from the soccer club attended the meeting as observers.

What had begun months ago as a well meaning plan to establish a capital project in the town to leave as a lasting legacy for the benefit of the community after their abolition, descended into farce when the only project that met the criteria for submissions turned out to be the local soccer club, who sought the funding to build new dressing rooms. It wasn't the kind of project the Town Council had anticipated - but at the same time they had to concede it ticked every box when it came to satisfying the criteria they'd set out, whereas none of the others did.

They then bent over backwards to allow three other projects back into contention, writing to them seeking further information, i.e. the details of their budgets, projected costs, matching funding, start dates for projects etc. which they'd requested in the first place. They were able to go back to seek the further information on the three projects after Town Manager, Paul Daly advised them that what they were doing wasn't a statutory function - in other words they could do what they wanted, including scrapping all plans and going back to the drawing board, if they chose.

PROCESS OF ELIMINATION

After a roundabout discussion on Monday night, it was agreed to exclude St. Carthage's House Nursing Home as it still hadn't furnished accounting or budget details for its project, or a timeframe. Councillors Jimmy O'Gorman and Julie Landers agonised over that decision, Councillor O'Gorman having made an impassioned plea, backed by Cllr. Landers, for funding for what was considered by all to be a valuable community facility. Cllr. O'Gorman thought "It was as bad a decision as we've made in a long time" not to give the nursing home any funding.

That left the project to digitise the Cotton Library at St. Carthage's Cathedral and the local soccer club's dressing rooms project to be considered. Put to a vote, chairman Jan Rotte and councillors Bernard Leddy, Ken Madden, Orla Russell, Jimmy O'Gorman and Davy Whelan, were for both projects being included, while John Heneghan, Joe Tobin and Julie Landers were against, wanting just the soccer club's application considered.

Once that was decided, a vote was taken on how to divide up the funding. Councillors Julie Landers and Joe Tobin were against splitting it, favouring the soccer club getting all of it. Councillor John Heneghan abstained. That left six councillors, chairman Jan Rotte, Bernard Russell, Orla Russell, Ken Madden, Davy Whelan and Jimmy O'Gorman in favour of dividing it equally between the two projects.

Cllr. Russell was commended for being in agreement with the funding being split, given that she is involved with Lismore Soccer Club and had favoured it from the start, pointing out that it was the only project which had met all the criteria from the outset.

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