Paul Murphy
Minister of State Thomas Byrne said that a new naval base for the country should be located at Drogheda. He was speaking at the inaugural Summer School organised by Drogheda Civic Trust at St Peter’s Church of Ireland Conference Centre over the weekend. The conference entitled – Shared Horizons, Building the Future Together – included speakers Ivan Yates, TD Peader Toibin, TD Ged Nash, Matthews O’Toole, Professor Deirdre Heenan, Professor Dan O’Brien and Dr Cathal Berry.
Mr Byrne said there had been a lot of talk about having a naval base on the East coast and there was a Government commitment for such a project. While there was no government decision as yet, there had been talk about the base being located at Dun Laoghaire. “I have suggested it should be in the town of Drogheda and he had written to both Louth and Meath chief executives”.
He said he would love to have support from politicians but no politicians had contacted him since he first publicised the idea. “The people of Drogheda are always giving out that they don’t get anything. There is plenty of land down at the port here in Drogheda. I think Drogheda would be an excellent site. I can’t guarantee that the Government will say yes but I would like to see it pushed forward”.
Opening the Summer School last Friday the Mayor of Drogheda Cllr Michelle Hall said it was a great pleasure for her to welcome participants to Drogheda for discussions on the future of Northern Ireland and the challenged and opportunities facing the European Union in the years ahead. “We gather at a moment lf profound change across these island and across Europe. The questions surrounding the future of Northern Ireland are no longer abstract constitutional debates confined to political institutions – they touch everyday lives, communities, economies, identities and the future aspirations of younger generations”.
At the same time, she said, the European Union faced a period of transformation and testing in a range of areas – economic competitiveness and energy security, climate transition, migration, technological change, democratic resilience and geopolitical uncertainty of the continuing aggression of Russia on Europe’s Western border. The Irish attitude to the EU was very positive, she said, and people knew the positive changes it brought to Ireland especially in the area of women’s rights. “Open borders, a single market, a single currency and reform happening in EU Incorporated where streamlining regulations will make Europe more competitive is one of the points which will come to the fore as we look forward to Ireland taking on the EU Presidency”.
The Mayor said that the fact that Ireland was on the Western seaboard of Europe and an island nation meant that we were somewhat removed. While we spoke English, many Europeans often spoke several languages. We have to fly or take long sea sailings to reach other countries in the EU. Therefore, it was great to see Europeans making the journey to Ireland. I will have to touch up on my Portuguese as Louth is twinned with our other Western seaboard of Portugal. Obrigado is as far as I’ve gotten so far.”
