Ballymoe says put Post Offices in Council offices

AS Ballymoe commemorates its 1916 leader Eamonn Ceannt tomorrow (Wednesday) the secretary of the local development company, John Martin Griffin, says that incorporating Post Offices in danger of closure into local Co Council offices might be one way of ensuring their survival in small towns.

While he says that the Ballymoe community appreciate Galway Co Council taking a lead in the opening of a commemorative garden to the 1916 leader in his home town, there is a need for similar leads in other areas of infrastructure to ensure the survival of small towns and villages.

'We need to be using the memory of Eamonn Ceannt as an inspiration for innovative ideas as well as commemorating him with a monument.

'It is probably what he would want us to do as he, like the other 1916 leaders, wanted all of Ireland including the rural areas, and not just the big cities, to prosper in the new Ireland where they envisaged that all would be equal,' says John Martin.

'Perhaps in areas where post offices are under threat they could be incorporated into the Co Council offices which would mean people could pay their car tax there and avail of other services which would mean more streams of revenue for the joined-up offices in the small towns and village, making them viable.'

He praised the lead taken by Galway Co Council and in particular Heritage Officer Marie Mannion in having a memorial garden to Ceannt in his hometown.

'The Co Council’s involvement shows how well things can be done using a partnership approach. Without this small towns would struggle,' he added.

Tomorrow morning (Wednesday) John Martin is delivering a talk titled 'The Importance of remembering Eamonn Ceannt in our Community' at the ceremony to mark the official opening of the commemorative garden. Among those in attendance will be Michael Sheehy, a grand nephew of Eamonn Ceannt.

He will be performing the official opening along with Cllr Michael Connolly, Cathaoirleach of Galway Co Council at 12.30.

The events get underway earlier at the Fr Flanagan Centre in Ballymoe at 11 am and the first talk will be by local PP Fr Joe Poole who will speak about 'The special aspects that religion played during the 1916 Rising'. Historian and Archaeologist Dean Swift’s talk will be 'Eamonn Ceannt — trappings of a Leader of the Revolution' while Mary Gallagher will talk about 'Eamonn Ceannt - A Man for all Seasons'.

There will be a display of artifacts and other memorabilia from the era of the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence on display in the Fr Flanagan Centre during the commemoration ceremony.