STELLA MEADE,
Sir, - Kathy Sheridan's column about George Best (Opinion, August 1st) finishes by stating that in Cobh where "the local authority has failed to come up with any kind of facilities", the local authority was responsible for the removal of goalposts erected by children in an estate. As Mayor of Cobh, I reject totally the suggestion that Cobh is a town with no facilities and that the town council is somehow failing in its duties to provide amenities for the young of the town.
It is ironic that this column appeared in a week when a group from a local schoolboys' soccer club, accompanied by the deputy mayor of the council (who also happens to be a leading member of the club), were travelling to Bangor, Co Down to take part in a soccer tournament there. The involvement of the club in this tournament was assisted by a large grant from the town council as well as sponsorship raised by the children involved and a substantial donation from North Down Borough Council.
Cobh is currently served by a large number of clubs and societies which provide services and facilities for the young people of the town. These include soccer, tennis, rugby, athletics, sailing, martial arts and GAA; there are also a number of youth clubs active in the town. Cobh Town Council actively assists large number of these clubs by providing financial and other support on an ongoing basis. The district league competition referred to in the article is also partly sponsored by the town council and I have been asked in my capacity as mayor of the town to take part in the medal presentation at the end of the competition. In addition, a youth forum has been set up by a number of bodies in the town and their work in dealing with issues of importance to the youth of Cobh is actively supported by the town council.
If Kathy Sheridan had further researched the article before writing it she would also have discovered that the goalposts were taken down by Cork County Council (the area in question is outside the functional are of the town council) rather than Cobh Town Council. I have been advised by Cork County Council that the action was taken following a number of complaints from residents of the estate that the goalposts themselves were dangerous. - Yours, etc.,
STELLA MEADE, Mayor of Cobh, Co Cork.