*Michael McNamara MEP (IND).
A CLARE MEP has said mass-goers will have to consider leaving money in their will to the Diocese of Killaloe if the wishes of the dead are to be ignored.
Following confirmation from the HSE that they intend to re-apply for planning permission to construct a €25m community hospital on the grounds of St Flannan’s College, a project that the Bishop of the Killaloe Diocese has been firmly behind, MEP Michael McNamara (IND) has took aim at Bishop Fintan Monahan and the Diocese.
Last December, An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) refused planning permission to the HSE for the 100 bed hospital. The planning battle has been ongoing since August 2022.
Bishop of the Killaloe Diocese, Fintan Monahan had agreed to sell the diocesan-owned school green space on St Flannan’s College to the HSE for the hospital development.
Former principal of St Flannan’s College, Colm McDonagh in an objection in April 2023 told Clare County Council that he is absolutely determined the wishes of the woman, Charlotte McNamara who conditionally bequeathed the lands in question in the 1950s to St Flannan’s College be honoured.
Ennis native McDonagh argued that the conditions of Ms McNamara’s bequest preclude the the owners of the land, the Diocese of Killaloe from selling on the lands. He said that Ms McNamara conditionally bequeathed the lands in question to St Flannan’s College in 1955. “In 2004, legal advice by the then College Trustees prevented the sale of these sales. It is hard to understand why this legal advice can now be deemed irrelevant. I am absolutely determined that the wishes of Charlotte McNamara will be honoured in the present circumstances as they were in 2004. The legal opinion that prevented the sale of these lands in 2004 is still valid today,” he said.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, MEP McNamara admitted it was “a bit of a surprise” that the HSE announced plans to try build the hospital again at the same site. “The HSE is beyond democratic control or the reach of any democratically elected person in any democratic role. Everybody is in favour of this new development but I don’t think anybody thinks it is a good idea to put a community hospital on the green space of St Flannan’s College.
“There is enough land in Ennis to not have a choice between the recreation of children and young people and facilities for our elderly. If this was the only site in Ennis you would say something,” the Scariff native added.
McNamara was critical of the Bishop of Killaloe. “The Bishop himself if he is determined to make a few bob for whatever reason, the Church have plenty of land beside Cahercalla that they could use. It speaks to a Diocese with no regard for standing by the wishes of its benefactors, a condition on the will was that this green space not be sold and now they are saying it can be. There are questions of legality but leaving them aside, as a regular mass-goer you hear the occasional encouragement to leave money in your will for the church but why would you do that if they are going to ignore your wishes. This is a hefty request of a piece of land that has huge value at the time and still has a huge value now but the wishes of benefactor have been completely ignored”.
Efforts to contact Bishop Monahan on Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful.
Speaking on the issue in past, he said the Diocesan Trust could confirm “that the Diocese is entirely free to sell this land for community benefit and has received the necessary Charities Regulator authorisation”. He praised the HSE’s plans as a “wonderful proposed development” that “will be of great benefit to our community”.
