O’Hanrahan hits out at 1916 relatives’ “diluted” role in commemorations

Pearse O’Hanrahan

A local descendant of one of those involved in the 1916 Easter Rising has hit out at the “diluted” role of relatives in the annual Arbour Hill Commemoration Ceremony.

President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny both attended the ceremony yesterday to honour the men and women of the Rising 99 years on.

However, Pearse O’Hanrahan, a grand-nephew of Micheal O’Hanrahan who was second-in-command at Boland’s Mill, said the role of relatives had been “diluted” at this year’s ceremony, with more prominence given to politicians.

This year 16 people were selected by lottery to represent the families who led the procession out of the church; then the politicians, the President, the Taoiseach and the Cabinet and then the rest of the families.

“Before last year, all the families went out first. It was a family Mass and a family occasion and then the politicians came after.

“But it’s been politicised now by diluting the role of the families,” Pearse told The Herald.

The former Dundalk Town Councillor has been attending the commemoration each year for the past 50 years and it has now become a family occasion.

Damien O’Callaghan, a great grand-nephew of Micheal O’Hanrahan, attended yesterday’s ceremony with his daughters Hazel (2) and Lily (6), who laid a flower in memory of her ancestor.

“We come here every year,” explained Damien, from Blackrock. “Lily is coming since she was two.”

Three Dundalk sites close to being sold, including the land once earmarked for the ski slope facility

The land for sale at Hill Street, Dundalk, which recently went sale agreed

Three development sites for sale on the outskirts of Dundalk have gone sale agreed in the last few weeks, leading to speculation that deals for the land will be completed shortly.

10.6 acres at Mount Avenue and 7.395 acres on Hill Street are both zoned as Residential 1, while the 10.83 acres at the Racecourse Road is zoned strategic employment mixed use.

All three sites have been on the market in recent months with Sherry FitzGerald Carroll but it would appear that a deal is close to being struck for them.

The land at Hill Street – known locally as Naylor’s land – is located to the rear of Line Terrace and the old Crossan’s Opel Garage on the Dublin Road, as well as the Dunmor housing estate on the Avenue Road.

Meanwhile, the lands at Mount Avenue are located 500 metres to the left after taking the turn opposite to Oriel Park on the Carrickmacross Road, stretching behind the rear of McDermott’s Terrace down as far as Lis na Dara.

Meanwhile, the land on the Racecourse Road is located opposite Dundalk Stadium and had most recently been earmarked for the proposed ski slope and casino development that had been proposed by Sam Curran and Pearse O’Hanrahan’s business Innovative Leisure Systems (ILS).

That development had been granted planning permission by Dundalk Town Council a number of years back but this was overturned by An Bord Pleanala.

The land at the Racecourse Road, which had been earmarked for the ski slope facility