Clare County Council should be in no doubt that there is an overwhelming rejection by the entire school community at St Flannan’s College in Ennis to HSE plans for a €25m community hospital on the college’s green space.
In a new submission on the HSE planning application, ex St Flannan’s College principal, Colm McDonagh has told the 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.
Mr McDonagh argues that the conditions of Ms McNamara’s bequest preclude the the owners of the land, the Diocese of Killaloe from selling on the lands
Already, the College’s Board of Management (BOM) and school staff, including celebrated hurlers and Clare All-Ireland winners, Tony Kelly, Brendan Bugler and Jamesie O’Connor, have outlined their opposition to the proposal as part of a group objection.
The 100 bed Community Nursing Unit (CNU) is to be built on a seven acre green field site at Clonroadmore at St Flannan’s College and replace the existing bed capacity at St Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis.
Now in his new submission Mr McDonagh states that in 1955, Charlotte McNamara conditionally bequeathed the lands in question to St Flannan’s College.
He said: “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.
He said: “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.”
Mr McDonagh said that “ignoring the explicit wishes of Charlotte McNamara may prove to be hugely detrimental to the timeframe for this ‘urgent’ project.”
A native of Ennis, Mr McDonagh was on the teaching staff at St Flannan’s College for 33 years and became the first lay principal of St Flannan’s College in 2000 remaining in the post until his retirement from the role in 2012.
Mr McDonagh states that the college Board of Management clearly states they have very clear reservations as regard the location of this development and its consequential impact.
He said that the BOM opposition to the development has attracted unanimous support from the current college staff as well as from a large cohort of retired teachers.
He said: “All of this cannot be interpreted as anything other than an overwhelming rejection of the proposed development on the part of the entire school community. The local authority should be in no doubt as regards this fact.”
Speaking on the issue last year, the Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan said that 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”.
Bishop Monahan said “this wonderful proposed development” by the HSE “will be of great benefit to our community”.
Bishop Monahan said that “the Diocese is very pleased to be able to facilitate the HSE in providing a state of the art facility for the benefit of the communities of Ennis and County Clare in general in a location which is ideal for such a facility”.
The intervention by the College Board of Management and college staff places them at loggerheads with Bishop Monahan who has confirmed that it remains the diocese’s intention to press ahead with the sale to allow the hospital to proceed.
A decision is due on the application later this month.
