Farrell and Casey differ over calls for south Longford sensory garden
Lanesboro councillors Gerald Farrell and Mark Casey clashed last week over the location of a possible new sensory garden in the south Longford town.
Cllr Farrell opened a discussion at last week's meeting of Ballymahon Municipal District over the practicalities behind upgrading an old play area at the rear of the town's Church View estate area by turning it into a sensory garden.
“The ESB supported a playground a number of years back at the back of that housing estate, but it was never used and has gone into disrepair,” he said.
The local publican said there was an increasing demand for the council to provide an open space for people with disabilities given a recent influx of new families to the locality.
However, Cllr Casey said despite the Church View play area being somewhat of an “eyesore”, Lanesboro was set to be well served with €100,000 in funding being set aside for a facility the back of a local coffee shop.
Cllr Farrell replied by insisting the recreational facility he was championing was “different” to the one Cllr Casey referred to however, prompting his Independent colleague to remark: “I didn't know there were two types of sensory gardens.”