*Photograph: Brian Arthur
THE HISTORIC opening of the Brian Boru Bridge could have been handled much better, elected representatives have conceded.
The invite-only event was met with anger from many in the twin towns of Killaloe and Ballina who felt that they were deliberately excluded from the historic occasion. The decision to not allow members of the public to attend is believed to have been caused by a peaceful protest that occurred on the Killaloe side of the bridge on the day of the opening.
People in both communities reacted furiously to the news that the event would be invite-only and that members of the public would not be permitted to attend. Many parents also voiced their disappointment at being turned away from the event and not being able to bring their young children to see the bridge’s opening. As this writer was entering the ceremony, a local woman was refused entry by a steward, despite her protests that she was “living here all my life”.
People in Killaloe have expressed anger over the fact that they were the ones who endured years of roadworks, noise, detours and disruption, only to be turned away when the project was finally completed.
The anger has been felt on both sides of the River Shannon as people were also prevented from entering on the Ballina side on the new €88 million project. A negative reaction has also been given to the fact that the musicians selected to perform at the event were not local to the area.
Clinical hypnotherapist John O’Reilly called it “a shameful day for Ballina and Killaloe. The people were locked out of history”. He said it “was supposed to be a day of celebration – the long-awaited official opening of the new bridge between Ballina and Killaloe. A day that should have honoured the resilience, patience, and pride of the very people who endured years of roadworks, noise, detours, and disruption. Instead, it turned into a deeply insulting and disgraceful event – one where the citizens were locked out of their own story”.
He claimed,“In a baffling and shameful decision, the local authorities of Clare and Tipperary prohibited local business people, residents, schoolchildren, and citizens of Ballina and Killaloe from attending the opening ceremony. The very people who lived through the construction – the delays, the obstructions, the upheaval – were denied the chance to stand together and celebrate a milestone they so rightly deserved to witness. This wasn’t just an oversight. It was a deliberate exclusion. Disgusting, unprofessional, and deeply insulting. Local politicians and public representatives, hang your heads in shame. You robbed our youth of a once-in-a-lifetime moment – a chance to stand on the bridge, be photographed, and say years from now, ‘I was there. That’s me in that picture’.
“Instead of unity, you delivered exclusion. Instead of celebration, you served disrespect. This bridge stands over the Shannon, but on this day, it also stands as a monument to a shocking disconnect between the decision-makers and the people they claim to serve. To the communities of Ballina and Killaloe – we were not invited, but we will not be silent,” O’Reilly added.
Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) told The Clare Echo, “I think it could’ve and should’ve been handled a lot better. There’s huge disappointment amongst the local Killaloe people. The bridge and bypass will bring huge benefits to the region and to the town for years to come. I hope that the benefits will outweigh any negativity going forward”.
Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe MD, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) stated, “I think there was a lot of misinformation around all sides of it, really. It made the headlines that it was opening on the 22nd a week or ten days earlier and it wasn’t officially confirmed until the Monday or Tuesday of the week. A lot of people had been contacted through social media to say that it was opening and to come down and be there. A lot of misinformation went around with the opening and a lot of people thought it was an open event”.
Hayes offered an explanation to the public closure by saying “Normally it would’ve been nice if we could’ve had an open event and a party atmosphere on the bridge around the whole thing. There is an official side to it, it cost €88 million and when you have ministers and officials from departments you have to treat it as that kind of an event. I think people were misled; at the same time we had a group with a very credible peaceful protest in relation to Gaza on the Clare side. Someone took a decision, we didn’t make the decision”.
