By Julie Waters
THE €50 cost of sending a councillor to a history festival in Wicklow reduced local politicians to deadlock at a recent meeting of Ards and North Down Council.
It took the casting vote of Mayor Craig Blaney to approve the attendance of alderman Alan McDowell to the 36th La Touche Legacy Seminar and 11th Festival of History in Greystones next month.
Wicklow County Council had invited their counterparts in Ards and North Down to send a representative to the one day seminar which will feature presentations by Professor Frank Barry, David McCullagh and Stephen Collins covering aspects of Ireland’s economic, political and social history.
The event will consider subjects such as ‘Industry and Policy – Independent Ireland
1922 – 1972’ and ‘From Crown to Harp: How the Treaty was undone, 1922-49’.
According to a council report presented to a meeting of the full council last week, the cost to attend the seminar is €50, however costs for travel and accommodation, if it is required, would be an additional cost to the council.
During the council meeting, Alliance group party leader Martin McRandal nominated party colleague alderman McDowell to attend and this was seconded by SDLP councillor Joe Boyle.
However, DUP council leader, alderman Stephen McIlveen, voiced concerns saying that he did not ‘see anything that relates to the policy of this council’ on the agenda and he would not support the proposal for any councillor to attend the conference.
