*Two-time Clare Olympian Liam Jegou.
AN APPEAL to erect a plaque for Clare Olympians must be signed off by the Memorial Committee of Clare County Council before it can progress.
At the December meeting of the local authority, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) asked that the Council “erect an Olympian plaque in John O’Sullivan Park, Lees Road, Ennis. This plaque will serve as a tribute to Clare-born or trained/clubbed Olympians, commemorating their achievements and contributions to the world of sports”.
He also urged the Council to “appoint a competent team to undertake research to identify these individuals and ensure that their names are remembered on a fitting plaque at a prominent location within the park. Clare County Council will make every effort to contact the living Olympians and invite them to the official unveiling of the plaque. This initiative aims to recognise and celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of our local Olympians, inspiring future generations and fostering a sense of pride in our community”.
For the 2024 Olympics held in Paris, Clare had two Olympians, Ballyvaughan native Liam Jegou who competed in his second Olympics in the canoe slalom. Whitegate’s Erin Riordan was part of the 400m freestyle relay team, she was part of the first women’s relay team to represent Ireland at the Olympics since Munich 1972.
Acting Director of Rural Development, Ann Reynolds in response explained, “The Council has a memorial policy in place to ensure that the memorial process is managed and regulated for the mutual benefit of all. With regard to this request for an Olympian plaque in John O’Sullivan Park an application with the relevant details should be submitted to the Secretary of the Memorial Committee for consideration by committee members. It will be necessary to identify a source of funding for this proposed civic memorial before preparatory works commences and to consult with Active Ennis, in developing the proposal further. Subject to the application being approved by the Committee, it can then be brought to a statutory meeting of the Council for final approval”.
Speaking at the December meeting, Clarecastle based Guilfoyle recalled that the Paris Olympics of 2024 were “a joyous occasion”. He added, “we’ve had great success in the last couple of Olympics”. He said, “Anyone that trains that hard should be remembered with a plaque, a fantastic facility, a plaque where we add more names to it would be a fine addition to the beautiful facility we have up there”.
Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) stated, “As Chairperson of the Memorial Committee, it is a very positive thing what you are suggesting and you are amenable to pursuing the process available to you”. She told her colleague, “You will need to build specifics into it, we might need to do research on who we will be honouring”.
In response, Cllr Guilfoyle pointed out that his motion called on the local authority to do the research. “I’d hope that my motion sought for Clare County Council to interact in the process and do the research, I’m not a historian but Google showed me that Neil Ryan ran in the 100m, I’d assume Active Ennis and our sporting department could work together and do the research.
