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The Annual General Meeting of the Athenry Community Council was held in the New Park Hotel on Monday 29th September. The outgoing Chairman Mr. Christy Coffey thanked all the members of the Community Council and the officers for their cooperation and dedication during the past year. He stressed that the council had been very active during the past year in the promotion of the common good of the community. Achievements included the agreement of the council to be leases of the premises for the new Heritage Centre, the housing of the Athenry Scouts in the Community Hall and a very successful meeting with our public representatives in which the council outlined its priorities for the improvement of the parish and town of Athenry. He thanked the various sub-committees for their hard work and especially the Lotto Committee for the arduous work carried out week after week in promoting the Lotto which has played a vital part in the reduction of the Council’s debt.

He also commended the members who were involved in the organising of a very successful Council dance at Easter. He also stressed that the in-coming officers will have to investigate how best Bingo can be run without being a financial burden on the Council. Regret was expressed at the fact that a solution to the town’s traffic problems has not as yet been agreed.

The following officers were elected for the coming year: Chairman: Gerry Burke, Vice-Chairman: Bob Zonenblick, Secretary: Bridie Fahy, Assistant Secretary: Pascal O’Dowd, Treasurer: Peter Feeney, Assistant Treasurer: Anne Fahy, P.R.O.: Joseph Hynes, Assistant P.R.O.: Tony Kilcommins. The following sub-committees were also elected:

Lotto Committee: John Delaney, Martin Cummins, Joan Gardner, Chris Flannery, Gerry Burke, Peter Feeney, Mary Hansberry, Ann Fahy, Willie Killeen, Tony Kilcommins, Torn Page, Eileen Keane, Joe Glynn, Joe Hynes.

Community Hall Committee: Bridie Fahy, Chris Flannery, Sean Meyler, Gerry Burke, Peter Feeney, Ann Fahy, Mary Hansberry, John Kennedy.

Heritage & Tourism Company Members: Madelyn Brody, Martin O’Grady, Bob Zonenblick, Pascal O’Dowd, Eamon Neary, Padraic Judge.

Raheen Management Committee: Richard Smyth, Christy Coffey.

Property Committee: Richard Smyth, Martin O’Grady, Frank Sweeney, Joe Glynn.

Finance Committee: Joe Hynes, Martin Cummins, Tony Kilcommins, Sean Farrell, Linda Farrell, Peter Feeney, Ann Fahy.

County Council Liaison Committee: Madelyn Brody, Padraic Judge, Noel Doherty, Pascal O’Dowd, Peter Feeney, Bob Zonenblick.

The Council held a fund-raising dance recently in Dobbyn & Coffey’s. It would like to thank Dobbyn & Coffey’s for the use of their premises and for their generous sponsorship of the event.

The council would also like to thank its other numerous sponsors of raffle prizes and all who sold tickets and who attended for making the dance such a success.

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Written by Bridie Fahy

Published here 26 Feb 2023 and originally published December 1997

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