Campaigns Information
For over 10 years before the 1994 Council Elections, Clonakilty did not have a public playground for it’s children, and this was
an issue Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin highlighted in his first election manifesto. Shortly after getting elected, the U.D.C. acquired
the Fairfield site and proposed that it be used to construct the playground – when money became available to develop it. As
months turned into years, and no movement on starting the work, frustration grew among parents and children and within the
Council Chamber. Cionnaith contacted a number of parents in the town and together they initiated the Playground Action Group,
whose agenda it was to pressurise the council into developing the much-needed playground. He was criticised by other councillors
in the council chamber for such an approach but was unapologetic. The Playground Action Group became vocal, wrote letters to
local newspapers, picketed a council meeting and organised a petition, which collected over 450 signatures in one afternoon.
Representatives of the group also addressed a council meeting, where they forcefully put the case for the playground to be
constructed immediately. Within twelve months the town had it’s state of the art modern playground that continues to be a popular
amenity for local and visiting children! top 
Not long after being elected, Cionnaith was contacted by a local wheelchair-user, who highlighted the problems she
had of getting around footpaths and public areas of Clonakilty town. Rather than just listening and theorising on the problems,
the Councillor made an appointment with the Constituent, and they met up one sunny afternoon, and conducted a “walkabout” survey
of the streets of the town. As the lady pushed her wheelchair around the various streets, Cionnaith noted the areas of
difficulty, most of which were easily resolved. Included were problems of getting onto and off footpaths and obstacles such as
bollards, street furniture, “sandwich boards”, shopping trolleys, etc. He presented his findings at the following months Council
meeting, and got a motion passed saying that all streets, parks and public areas of Clonakilty town be accessible to all
regardless of physical ability. £5,000 was spent within a few months by the Council in ramping footpaths, removal of bollards and
other obstructions. Disabled drivers car parking spaces were put in place, and an accessible public toilet were all issues that
the council resolved within a short space of time. He persisted in the council chamber calling for the removal of obstructions
placed by businesses like postcard stands and advertising hoardings, etc. Cllr. Ó Súilleabháin went on to call a public meeting
on all aspects of access for people with a range of disabilities, as well as other interest groups like pregnant women, parents
with prams, etc. At the public meeting, The Clonakilty Access Group was founded to keep the issues alive, take ideas from people
and to liase with the Town Council where more improvements could be made. Much work was achieved in a short period of time as the
Access Group and Council co-operated in making Clonakilty one of the best accessible towns in the country for people with
physical disabilities. This important work continues and Cionnaith remains actively involved. He says this is Sinn Féin policy of
Equality for all at work in a local and practical level that makes a positive difference to the most disadvantaged in society.
Fair Pay for Home Helps was another cause that Cionnaith championed in his first council term and continues to support. When
canvassing in 1994, he met a number of women who at the time were being paid a disgraceful 75p/hour by the Southern Health Board,
were not entitled to Holiday or Sick Pay, and when they were absent from their work had to arrange a replacement and pay them
themselves! The Sinn Fein councillor convened a number of meetings in Clonakilty and Bandon so that Home Helps could come
together to discuss their pay, working conditions and holiday entitlements. He invited representatives from the Cork City Home
Helps Group who had joined the A.T.G.W.U. some months previously, and a representative from that union also spoke at the
information meetings. With Cionnaith’s encouragement and support they, like their city counterparts, became a formidable force
and the Health Board eventually gave them their rights, including Holiday Back Pay which should have been paid to them years
before. The Sinn Féin Councillor raised the Home Helps demands at meetings of Clonakilty U.D.C., the Sinn Féin Árd Fheis and
Annual Conference of the A.M.A.I. (Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland), and continues to support them. Last year he
got a motion passed at a Council meeting to exempt Home Help income from council rent assessments. The struggle for fair play was
recorded in a book “You’ll Never Get £3.00”, which refers to the Clonakilty councillors role in empowering Home Helps in West
Cork. He continues to support their ongoing campaigns, and in August of 2003, attended a march in Cork City to oppose the cutback
of Home Help hours.
Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin with fellow SF councillor Jonathon O’ Brien, (Cork City), at the Home Helps march
and protest against Health Cuts in August 2003 Bus Shelter Campaign
When the one-way traffic system was introduced in Clonakilty on the first day of the new millennium, the eastbound
bus stop to Bandon and Cork was re-located to the bypass road. Several people who used the service contacted Cllr. Ó
Súilleabháin, highlighting that there was nowhere for them to shelter in inclement weather. Very often elderly people waiting to
go to Cork for hospital appointments were drenched to the skin before the bus arrived. Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin requested at
several council meetings that Bus Éireann erect a bus shelter in the interests of their own customers. After 12 months of
pontificating on the issue, a bus shelter was no nearer, and the Sin Féin councillor, along with a number of concerned passengers
initiated the “Clonakilty Bus Shelter Campaign”. While the main issue was to have a bus shelter erected, the campaign also
demanded extra buses and for the timetable to be adhered to by the company. They organised a petition, which within 10 days had
almost 400 names signed. The local hospital, Community College and St. Vincent de Paul Society backed the call. Cionnaith Ó
Súilleabháin made a number of written requests to Bus Éireann management, and publicised the issue on the local press. Within 2
months, Bus Éireann acceded and the bus shelter was in place. Later in the year, Cllr. Ó Súilleabháin raised the issue of the
number of buses to and from Clonakilty from September to May, which were traditionally cut to a minimum. Through a notice of
motion at the September meeting of Clonakilty U.D.C., he requested that the company retained the same timetable all year round,
which they agreed to do.
Clóna Milk Campaign
In September 2001, Clonakilty was thrown into crisis when the board of the local Clóna Milk Plant revealed that they
have undertaken a feasibility study, which could possibly mean the closure of the plant. 48 local jobs were at stake. Just a few
months earlier, Deasy and Co. closed it’s doors after over 200 years in the town, another decision that the Sinn Féin councillor
criticised publicly. Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin attended a meeting between Clóna workers and management, and pledged to do whatever
he could to ensure that the plant would be retained in Clonakilty. Through statements to local media over a 4-week period, he
challenged the board members and wrote to each of them individually, pointing out the importance of the plant to the economy of
the town, and the families of the 48 employees whose livelihoods were on the balance. His correspondence was never acknowledged
by any of them. The workers set up a 6 person committee, and Cionnaith liased almost on a daily basis with them. Thankfully, the
decision was made to retain Clóna Milk in the town that gave it it’s name, and many put it down to the initiative of the workers,
and the support they received from a small number of public representatives like the Sinn Fein councillor.
In 2001, it was announced that Ireland would be hosting the world-renowned Special Olympics in June 2003, the first
time ever that the event was held outside of the U.S. in it’s forty year history. 160 Host Towns were needed to keep the teams
from the different nations that would be competing. Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin proposed that Clonakilty would become a Host Town as
soon as the public advertisements were broadcast in the media, and the town became the second community in the while of Ireland
to apply for this honour. Clonakilty was informed that they would be hosting the Danish Special Athletes for a week before the
Games in Dublin. A committee was formed and Cionnaith was elected P.R.O., but also took on many other roles within the group.
Specifically, he organised the Special Olympics entry in the 2003 St. Patrick’s Day parade in the town, made up of clients from
local COPE and CoAction centres. He also co-ordinated the memorable “Farewell Party” at Emmet Square on 20th June, and organised
a coach for local Special Olympics volunteers to see the closing ceremony in Croke part on June 29th. More on Clonakilty Special
Olympics on www.clonakilty.ie/specialolympics
Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin P.R.O. Clonakilty Special Olympics Committee at the Farwell Community Party at
Emmet Square on 20th June 2003 for the Danish Special Olympics Team which he organised.
In January 2003, it was rumoured that there was a possible threat to downgrade or even close Clonakilty Post Office
under An Post’s cost-saving plans. Cllr. Ó Súilleabháin wrote to the Chief Executive of An Post seeking clarification on the
matter, and received reply confirming that the historic and unique building was on the list of post offices throughout the state
to be “re-designated” as the company calls it. The Sinn Féin councillor immediately blew the whistle, alerting the public to what
was happening. He urged people to protest in writing to the company and to lobby Government T.D.’s. The Town Council discussed
the situation almost monthly. Ó Súilleabháin steered a motion through unanimously at the April 2003 meeting calling on local
business people to support the campaign to retain the Post Office and not to reply to any advertisements the company might place
seeking tenders to carry out the service. The then Mayor called two public meetings, during which the Clonakilty Post Office
Action Group was formed. The SF councillor is the Asst. Secretary. Read all about the campaign on
www.clonakilty.ie/postoffice.
Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin is one member of the five-person committee that made Clonakilty Ireland’s First Official Fair Trade Town
in September 2003. The Clonakilty Fairtrade Steering Group held their first meeting in January and resolved to work towards
making Clonakilty a Fairtrade Town. The group is made up Chairperson Jennifer Sleeman, (a member of the Green Party), Fr. Gerard
Galvin a local Catholic curate, Rev. Ian Jonas the local Church of Ireland Rector, Imelda Kingston, a member of the local
Methodist Congregation, and the Sinn Féin councillor as Publicity Officer. Fairtrade is something that Sinn Féin supports, as it
guarantees justice and a fair price for producers in Third World countries who are usually exploited by Western multinationals.
The make-up of the Steering Group is also a great example of how people with diverse political and religious beliefs and age and
gender can work together for a common cause, and succeed. For Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, this fact should be held up as an example
to other communities of what can be achieved when people come together as equals and in a common belief. The full story of
Clonakilty Fairtrade Town can be read in www.clonakilty.ie/fairtrade
The
Clonakilty Fairtrade Steering Group celebrate the town being declared Ireland’s First FT Town on 22nd September 2003. From left:
Rev. Ian Jonas, Cllr. Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, Jennifer Sleeman, Peter Gaynor (National FT Co-ordinator) and Fr. Gerard Galvin.
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