Listen to CRY Radio 104fm live
New Labour candidate Donie Daly tackles Railway Issue
2 comments | 
It was with great interest I see that Brian Cowen has stated ‘ he would have no objection to extending the new Cork/ Midleton Rail Link to Youghal’. Great! Break out the Champagne! Photo Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)
Donie Daly, Labour candidate for the Youghal local elections, Sean Sherlock TD and Senator Alan Kelly pictured at the start of Donie's election campaign
If you asked Barack Obama or Dustin the Turkey should it be reopened I am sure they would no objection either!
The pertinent question is whether it WILL be opened by this government. The people of Youghal deserve more than a half hearted, throw away election promise. Bertie Ahern gave us enough of those! We want specifics and with that in mind I have written to the Rail Procurement Agency and CEO of Irish Rail to ask for a policy statement and timeframe by which it will be opened…
Might I remind Fianna Fail that there was a golden opportunity in the boom years to reopen the line, but all of a sudden , 1 month before the local elections it is now on their agenda!
I , on behalf of the people of Youghal, am now going to try and take ownership of this issue and get a factual position as opposed to an aspirational one on whether it will be reopened or not.
Copy of email sent to Dick Fearn, ceo Irish Rail
FAO – Dick Fearn CEO Irish Rail
Dear Mr. Fearn,
I am emailing you on behalf of the people of Youghal, Co. Cork. We would like to ascertain Iarnrod eireanns position re. the opening of the Youghal/ Cork rail link. The link was recently reopened as far as Midleton and we would like to know if a) There is a view that the link will be continued to Youghal b) What timescale can be put on this?
I would welcome your response, ,
Regards,
Donie Daly
Labour Party Candidate
Youghal Local Elections 2009
Tel:- (086) 8103886
Email:- doniedalyyoughal@gmail.com
www.labour.ie/doniedaly
Click on image to start slideshow of the re-launch of the Youghal branch of the Labour Party with Sean Sherlock TD and Senator Alan Kelly, Labour Candidate for European Elections in Munster at The Walter Raleigh Hotel last April
2 comments |
I think your headline overplays what has been done here.
Rather than tackling “the railway issue”, it strikes me that this candidate has on the one hand pointed out some obvious cheap electioneering, and then on the other hand committed the same offense himself. Offense that is to the intelligence of the good people of Youghal.
We all want a railway link. But I fail to see how the election of any local town councilor or other will bring this about. This is surely an issue for county and mostly national representatives to try and effect. But until we have TD’s who care are act in Youghal’s interest this won’t happen.
Maybe I am jaundiced to this issue. But I was on an RTE interview with one of the current TD’s on the eve of the last election. He happily and knowing lied that if elected he would “be sure that the railway would be in Youghal within 7 years”. When I questioned him afterwards, certain that he was lying, he acknowledged the fact and said “It does no harm to give them hope”.
While we have TD’s who treat our needs with such distain we will get nothing.
PS: I am not affiliated, in any way, to any political party.
I appreciate your Comments, Martin. However I cant see how I have committed an offense against the ‘intelligence of the good people of Youghal’. I along with the vast majority of people that I have canvassed do not believe that this rail line will be opened by the present Fianna Fail Govt. and I’m certainly not promising that a Labour Govt. will have the money to open it either. All I’m saying is that if we have a definitive answer from Irish Rail that it wont be opened in the near future – then we can arrange to do something with the abandoned station and surrounding land i.e use it as an amenity for the Town.
I have not promised or misled anyone- I had an article in last Mondays Evening Echo setting out what I want to see happen with the railway station. I’m a realist. I certainly will not try and mislead people with false promises such as ‘Rail line to Youghal to reopen’ which is basically lies!
The TD, that lied on RTE about the rail line reopening was either FF or FG! Your right they have treated the people of Youghal with disdain. I am currently canvassing the town and I would certainly welcome the chance to sit down with you and discuss my proposals for the town. If you wish you may email me your address or failing that an email address and we can meet. Failing that if elected, the Youghal branch of the Labour Party will be looking for intelligent, articulate members to help us improve the town – maybe you might be interested.