March 30 - We received no funds from WLR or Ballyhoura

I WOULD like to correct a number of misleading statements in the Limerick Leader of April 16 by Carmel Fox, Ballyhoura Development, and Shay Riordan, West Limerick Resources.

As the Ballygrennan electoral division of Granagh parish is with West Limerick Resources in relation to Leader funding, and as Knockfierna Heritage and Folklore covers the electoral division of Ballygrennan in Granagh and a number of townlands in the electoral division of Ballingarry, we of the Knockfierna Heritage and Folklore Group and Knockfierna Heritage Society over the past 20 years have applied to West Limerick Resources for Leader funding for a number of projects for the betterment of Knockfierna as a major tourist attraction.

During my 16 years as secretary we received no funding whatsoever. Speaking with Pat O’Donovan, Chairman of Knockfierna Heritage Society at the Rambling House in Kilfinny on March 1, Pat made it clear to me that West Limerick Resources did not fund any of Knockfierna’s projects over the past five or six years either, which means that the Knockfierna area which covers parts of Ballingarry and the Ballygrennan area of Granagh got no funding for its projects over the past 20 years or so during the whole time that West Limerick Resources were the local development company.

At the meeting in Ballingarry in which decisions were made as to which parishes would be with West Limerick Resources and which parishes would be with Ballyhoura Development before the line was drawn between the electoral divisions of Ballygrennan and Coolrus, those present at the meeting representing Ballingarry debated among themselves as to whether to go with Ballyhoura Development or go with West Limerick Resources; while a few were in favour of Ballyhoura the majority were in favour of West Limerick Resources. The fact that Ballingarry had the choice means that Granagh parish should also have the choice and that electoral divisions are not binding boundary lines in relation to Leader funding. This is also seen in relation to the West Limerick parish of Dromcollogher whose projects are funded by Ballyhoura.

The importance of parish organisations was highlighted by West Limerick Resources a short time after its first AGM when I got printed information in the post from the then secretary of West Limerick Resources Brenda Cahill which stated that groups such as Knockfierna Heritage and Folklore would have no voting powers like the parish councils, parish developments and so on have, and therefore Knockfierna would have no say in the election of the officers of West Limerick Resources and no say in other matters as well.

DAVID O’RIORDAN,

KILMORE, GRANAGH, CO LIMERICK