Councillor ‘sick to his stomach’ after text message on land rezoning bid

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – A Galway city councillor told colleagues he was “sick to the pit of my stomach” after a text message referred to his late wife’s death in a bid to encourage him to support a developer’s plans to build housing for older people.

An emotional Cllr Frank Fahy said that he received an approach by text on the eve of a City Development Plan meeting seeking a rezoning of lands on the Headford Road for sheltered accommodation for the elderly – and referring to the death of his wife from cancer as a reason why he should support it.

The Fine Gael councillor from Menlo read out the text he received and even Council Chief Executive Brendan McGrath described it as ‘a new low’.

The councillor explained to the meeting that he had a missed call days prior to the discussion, and this was followed up by a text which he felt was “beyond reprehensible”.

The text read: “Well Frank, today has passed and you didn’t contact me. It is a long road, but your own wife died from cancer so perhaps we should forget all politics and believe in people.

“Do the right thing for her and all elderly tomorrow in your area and rise above petty politics. We all end up in the grave and it is only the good we did that matters.”

Members were discussing a proposal from Mavenbrook Ltd to rezone lands opposite Dunnes Stores in Terryland from RA (Recreational and Amenity) to CF (Institutional and Community) use when the news of the text message was revealed.

They expressed horror at the text; with Cllr Alan Cheevers (FF) – himself recovering from cancer – said he was disgusted and had lost all respect for the individual who sent it.

This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of this story, see the July 29 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.