‘Majority of people want to retain Raymond McCreesh park name’ insists Brady
Sinn Féin’s Mickey Brady has said that he and the vast majority of people believe that the name of the Raymond McCreesh Park in Newry should remain unchanged.
The Sinn Féin elected representative was speaking as Newry & Mourne Council prepare to discuss the responses to their most recent consultation on the name.
“The Park was named in 2001 after Council procedure was fully followed and surveys taken by the Council indicated a clear support for the Raymond McCreesh name,” Brady told Newry Times.
“In fact 84% of respondents supported the name. I have every confidence that the latest consultation will once again reflect that support for retaining the name.
“From the naming of the park in 2001 until 2008 there were no issues, complaints or problems raised regarding the park’s name. In 2008 the Newry District Loyal Orange Lodge, which is not located in the vicinity of the park, made a complaint.
“That complaint was investigated by the council and it found, after much deliberation, that the name should be retained. Since then there has been a very focused and nasty campaign to demonise this area and its community who avail of the amenities.
“Those who would say that this community and all others who supported the naming of this Park after Raymond McCreesh had displayed a lack of respect and tolerance towards the feelings of the unionist community know very little about this close knit Ballybot community and its history of neighbourliness and friendliness. I reject this slander on both myself and those I represent,” he added.
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