FORMER Mayor Cllr Stephen Keary sang an unpopular tune this week when he took issue with a loan given to Dolan’s Warehouse by Limerick City and County Council for promoting concert events in the city.
Cllr Keary was not happy that significant loans were outstanding from the music venue and other organisations, and wanted the message to go out that the local authority is not a bank.
“We are not a financial institution for Dolan’s Warehouse,” Cllr Keary declared at this Monday’s meeting of the local authority.
Labour Party councillor Joe Leddin took issue with the Fine Gael member’s comments.
“Dolan’s is not only known nationally but internationally and brings visitors to the city and county from the four corners of the globe. They have put on key events in King John’s Castle and have a great reputation,” Cllr Leddin said.
Cllr Keary hit back that the Council is not a “benevolence society”.
“I didn’t say we were,” Leddin replied.
“The Council are not giving away money willy-nilly. Dolan’s have brought international artists to the city and put us on the map.”
The Labour Party councillor also suggested that Cllr Keary was harping back to the days of city and county divide in the council chamber.
Fianna Fáil councillor Jerry O’Dea was also of the view that Dolan’s Warehouse had put Limerick “on the map”.
“We want to see the city vibrant and alive and we need to do everything we can to support that,” he insisted.
Fine Gael councillor Gerard Mitchell that anything that helped bring footfall into Limerick City could only be a good thing.
The Council’s Director of Support Services, Sean Coughlan reassured council members that there was no cause for concern over outstanding loans given by the local authority.
