In December 2009 some Labour councillors tabled a motion to City Council to the effect that Dubliners would be invited to submit their ideas on an appropriate new name for Archbishop Ryan Park, Merrion Square as “a gesture to all of those who suffered as a result of clerical abuse”.
In April 2010 DCC advertised for submissions and there was what I would consider a very large response (542 in total) which broke down as follows:
- Oscar Wilde Gardens/Park – 219
- Brigit Park/Square/Gardens – 113
- Merrion Arts Garden – 98
- Merrion Square/Park – 56
- 47 other variations, all of which received 8 votes or less.
So Oscar was the clear winner; yet now for some strange reason the local Area Committee decided to recommend Merrion Square Park (finished a distant 4th) to the Council for adoption.
Is it just me or is this a snubbing of the public consultation process? How would victims of clerical abuse feel about that?
Now there is an online petition being mounted to “Bring Back Oscar”.
http://www.petitiononline.com/wildeprk/petition.html
I think they have a point…
