Sligo councillors expected to seek Government help with Lissadell costs

Calls for a Government bailout to help Sligo County Council meet legal costs arising out of the Lissadell court case are expected to be made at a special meeting of the council soon.

Local tourism and business representatives said it was crucial the estate reopened to the public. It has been closed for a number of years because of the dispute between the owners and the council over rights of way.

Sligo county manager Ciarán Hayes expressed disappointment at the Supreme Court decision on costs, but he echoed the views of many local people who want the historic estate to reopen as a tourist attraction.

“At this time, my only other public comment is to express my desire that Lissadell House and lands would continue for the benefit of current and future generations of people in Sligo and the northwest region,” he said.

Absolutely essential
Local Fine Gael TD and Minister of State John Perry said it was "absolutely essential" that Lissadell would reopen, especially given its links to 1916 leader Countess Markievicz and with the centenary of the Easter Rising just two years away.

Local Labour Senator Susan O’Keeffe who chairs the national steering committee for Yeats 2015, which will mark the 150th anniversary of the poet’s birth, expressed relief that the legal battle was finally over and said it was time to move on. She said it was her “fervent hope” the estate would play a role in the Yeats 2015 celebrations.

Rory O’Connor, founder of the Sligo Live Festival, said Lissadell was a “fantastic asset” for Sligo and the northwest. “I am glad this is over and I hope the council and the owners can put it behind them and move on.”