IT is claimed that Cllr Kevin Kiely breached protocol in the commissioning of a new medallion to be added to the mayoral chain.
Cllr Kiely revealed in a press statement this week, that JP McManus was to be recognised as the first Limerick owner of a horse to win the Aintree Grand National, with a solid gold piece on the mayoral chain.
It is now alleged that the councillor, who was mayor when the English trained Don’t Push It won at Aintree, had not received the required official approval from City Hall for the wording to be inscribed on the medallion.
Two city councillors told the Limerick Post they were completely unaware of Kiely’s intentions, and questioned his authority to make such a decision without going through the accepted channels.
The Limerick Post has been reliably informed that there are “grave doubts” that the wording will meet with management’s requirements to comply with protocol standards.
It is established practice that the wording on every new medallion added to the chain, one of the city’s most treasured possessions, must be agreed by City Hall executives.
“I understand that Cllr Kiely ran his proposal for a medallion by two senior executives a few weeks ago but that he made his own decision regarding the wording,” a high ranking City Hall source told this newspaper.
It is further clamed that “ top brass in City Hall have some genuine reservations about the wording.
Said a source: “The bottom line is that protocol requirements must be adhered to and if wording is not approved, it will have to be changed, if the medallion is to be added to the chain”.
Cllr Kiely, mayor at the time of the Grand National win by the McManus owned horse said he is delighted to ‘recognise the sporting contribution to Limerick, particularly during 2011 when Limerick is European City of Sport with the new medallion, which has been commissioned by FC chairman, Pat O’Sullivan and Cllr Kiely, from the Limerick jewellers, JJ Kenneally.
It is understood that, if approval for the wording is granted, Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Jim Long, will host a reception on August 10 to celebrate the addition of the new medallion to the mayoral chain.
