Brendan McCann

Minfadlek · 05-06-2007 10:04AM

Van wrote:

If I was Brendan McCann I would have my solicitors take a close look at these boards!!!

and those boards, that forum, this forum, that article, this letter, that comment, this sign.... etc, etc.

valdonican · 05-06-2007 11:00AM

Ye're dead right, let's tar and feather him and run him out of town.

That will improve the main road from Waterford to Dublin, get us new trains to replace the 1960's rolling stock currently being used on the Waterford line, get a new road to the airport and generally improve every facet of Waterford's profit making potential. God knows it was a thriving dynamic city before he came along!

Excuse me while I go empty the feathers out of the duvet..........

Bards · 05-06-2007 12:30PM

valdonican wrote:

Ye're dead right, let's tar and feather him and run him out of town.

That will improve the main road from Waterford to Dublin, get us new trains to replace the 1960's rolling stock currently being used on the Waterford line, get a new road to the airport and generally improve every facet of Waterford's profit making potential. God knows it was a thriving dynamic city before he came along!

Excuse me while I go empty the feathers out of the duvet..........

as he only objects to developments happening within the administration area of Waterford City Council he has no personal involvement on the Motorway to Dublin as this lies within Counties Kilkenny, Carlow & Kildare, but as a green party member he wants this road stopped.

He is against the re-development/improvement of Waterford Railway Station.

He tried to put a halt to the improved Road to the airport the part that is within the City Boundary.

PopeBuckfastXVI · 05-06-2007 04:49PM

mad man wrote:

The fact is Brendan McCann is trying to dictate planning policy in Irelands fourth largest City and has no mandate to do so.

So apart from all the trouble he's creating in Waterford he's trying to dictate planning policy in Derry aswell!? He get's about, I'll give him that!

Mossy Monk · 05-06-2007 04:58PM

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote:

So apart from all the trouble he's creating in Waterford he's trying to dictate planning policy in Derry aswell!? He get's about, I'll give him that!

Derry is a part of the Republic of Ireland? If you are going to be pedantic at least get your facts right.

valdonican · 05-06-2007 06:39PM

Bards wrote:

as he only objects to developments happening within the administration area of Waterford City Council he has no personal involvement on the Motorway to Dublin as this lies within Counties Kilkenny, Carlow & Kildare, but as a green party member he wants this road stopped.

He is against the re-development/improvement of Waterford Railway Station.

He tried to put a halt to the improved Road to the airport the part that is within the City Boundary.

Maybe I should make that a little clearer.
There is more stifling the growth of the city and it's appeal to investors than Brendan McCann. e.g. the quality of the trains and the possibilty of being able to get a seat on one while travelling from Dublin to Waterford is more important than how the station looks, compare our service to the Dublin - Cork route. Yes Bards, he has no involvement with the main Waterford/Dublin road one of the biggest stumbling blocks to development in this area. HGV's carrying raw materials or stock can't pass through Thomastown, hardly McCann's fault, although maybe it's all part of his clever ploy to bring this city to it's knees, actually now that I think of it, if one man can single handedly halt the economic development of a city....
Is the tarring and feathering still on? Or maybe 'Cancerous sores' should just be burned out? I'll consult Phoenix in the News and Star, he'll know the correct course of action to take in a balanced and politically unbiased manner.

Bards · 05-06-2007 07:17PM

valdonican wrote:

Maybe I should make that a little clearer.
There is more stifling the growth of the city and it's appeal to investors than Brendan McCann. e.g. the quality of the trains and the possibilty of being able to get a seat on one while travelling from Dublin to Waterford is more important than how the station looks, compare our service to the Dublin - Cork route. Yes Bards, he has no involvement with the main Waterford/Dublin road one of the biggest stumbling blocks to development in this area. HGV's carrying raw materials or stock can't pass through Thomastown, hardly McCann's fault, although maybe it's all part of his clever ploy to bring this city to it's knees, actually now that I think of it, if one man can single handedly halt the economic development of a city....
Is the tarring and feathering still on? Or maybe 'Cancerous sores' should just be burned out? I'll consult Phoenix in the News and Star, he'll know the correct course of action to take in a balanced and politically unbiased manner.

Brendan McCann has publicly said that he will do everything in his power to stop the Dublin/Waterford Motorway from being developed.

Train services are improving. New trains are on order and are being manufactured as I write in South Korea and will be on the Dublin Waterford track during 2008

Plunket station is getting a makeover in time for their arrival and increased services.

As you are a newcomer to these boards I will give you the benefit of doubt, but please do a little research before posting

Sully · 05-06-2007 08:03PM

Not much I can say but re-iterate what others have said;-

1) What is being said here about McCann would come under "freedom of speech". Nothing has been said that is untrue, or that can not be backed up in a court of law. McCann can not sue someone for not liking him, or not agreeing to his serial objections. Unless someone says something completely untrue that somehow further damages his image (can it be damaged anymore?) which he himself has damaged - then nothing can be done.

2) Developers come to Waterford to develop. Big shopping complexes get objected to every way possible, even if each planning authority says "McCann, your wrong. Fair enough if something was corrupt locally in the council, but when things go to other authorities who reject him - then that to me, would make McCann out to be a serial objector who disagrees with everyone and everything. He has no interest in Waterford developing, and will do his level best to stop anybody developing anything.

The list has been posted, you can see how minor developments are objected to and how larger developments are also objected.

So, why should Waterford people thank him or love him? Why should we object to a blow-in trying to control what happens in our city? He represents the Green Party in Waterford, and it scares me to think that other Green Party members have the same views, and do the exact same thing.

I'm all for protecting the environment, but im also all for decent development to provide us with services. Furthermore im all for creating of motorways and cleanup of roads etc. and increase in excellent quality public transport (alongside their corresponding buildings). McCann certainly is against all this, and acts like he wishes to go back to horse and cart days living in houses with straw roofs. All this from a Green representative - and the Greens are in negotiations with Final Fail to get into government?! My god.

Trotter · 05-06-2007 08:08PM

valdonican wrote:

if one man can single handedly halt the economic development of a city....

I believe one man is doing well in his attempt..

PopeBuckfastXVI · 06-06-2007 11:07AM

Mossy Monk wrote:

Derry is a part of the Republic of Ireland? If you are going to be pedantic at least get your facts right.

The original quote didn't mention the Republic. It claimed Waterford is "Irelands fourth largest city" it isn't, Derry is. It's not even the fourth largest in the State (the Republic of Ireland), that particular fourth place honour falling to Galway.

Minfadlek · 06-06-2007 12:48PM

Good for you if you're only concerned in numerical running order....

Just to clarify - Waterford city is the relevent one in this thread

, as I see it

road_high · 06-06-2007 02:19PM

I would love to see the Waterford-Dublin rail line double tracked from Kildare on. There is lots of room either side of the track if there were a concerted effort made. All the various councils would need to prob make a concerted effort to concetrate developmet close to the various train stations and towns along the route. A lot easier said than done I know.
I don't know enough about these things but ball-park I would reckon 1 billion euros pumped into this line would go a very long way. Sadly I can't see this happening anytime soon.

rasper · 07-06-2007 12:44AM

I have to say that after doing a little bit of searching on the man himself and his objections , that I feel the local media seem to have a vested interest in vilifying him, take for example this piece and note the descriptions used.

http://archives.tcm.ie/waterfordnews/2004/09/03/story15538.asp

I'd ask everyone to try and read this piece literally plucked at random and honestly state that this is total unbiased reporting for the good of the community or status quo written trash.

Developers have no greater love of Waterford than of the euro

mad man · 07-06-2007 03:56AM

rasper wrote:

I have to say that after doing a little bit of searching on the man himself and his objections , that I feel the local media seem to have a vested interest in vilifying him, take for example this piece and note the descriptions used.

http://archives.tcm.ie/waterfordnews/2004/09/03/story15538.asp

I'd ask everyone to try and read this piece literally plucked at random and honestly state that this is total unbiased reporting for the good of the community or status quo written trash.

Developers have no greater love of Waterford than of the euro

Maybe you should research a bit further and perhaps check out the An board Pleanala website.There you will see that Brendan McCann is not only the most prolific objector to developments from Waterford but the whole country as well.

Secondly you are obviously new to the debate.Otherwise you will realise Brendan McCann and his supporters are not adverse to attempting to manipulate the local media themselves.In fact the Newspaper you have quoted have been more than generous to Brendan McCann and his supporters (WCTU included) by providing them with many opertunities to state their case.Opertunities which they have taken advantage of.Therefore its hard to believe that the link you posted was "plucked at random".There has been much water under the bridge since then and much more heated and controversial events.Especially concerning KRM's proposal.

The reality is Brendan McCann;s own views of what is acceptable to the City is totally adverse to the traditional streetscapes and architecture.I am referring to his view that three storey buildings should only be allowed.Also the focus of his objections in the City and completely ignoring what is going on just outside is itself contributing to sprawl and damaging to the centre.This has been already discussed ad nauseum.His supporters such as Seamus Ryan have defended his actions by saying that Waterfords commercial potential has been damaged more by poor access than Brendan McCann's objections.This completely ignores the fact that BMC has objected to the Outer Ring Road,Waterford City Bypass and M9 motorway.He is also not supportive to the upgrade of the WIT to a university.He may be opposed to it on the grounds that it contributes to the current economic model and therfore the consumer society.He may also be opposed to development for the same reason and as I have already said because of the contribution of concrete to carbon emissions.In fact the same people support BMC today that would have supported the dock strke and other strikes almost 30 years ago that devastated the city for a generation and plague us to this day. Galway benefitted from this more than any other place in Ireland.

There is good reason to suspect that BMC's actions are more about the politics of anti-globalisation than just sustainable development.There is nothing wrong with holding such views.However it is wrong to withold them from the public especially if you are running for public office. Its all very well criticizing developers for their "love of the euro".Developers are part of the capitalist economic system that we have and which the vast majority of the country depends on to earn a living.Brendan McCann is not one of these people of course.If the economy does collapse he will still earn almost three times the industrial wage from the state.

JMcL · 07-06-2007 08:26AM

Bards wrote:

Train services are improving. New trains are on order and are being manufactured as I write in South Korea and will be on the Dublin Waterford track during 2008

Still on a single track, having to wait at Athy for the one going in the opposite direction to pass, and still reversing out of Kilkenny

road_high · 07-06-2007 08:57AM

JMcL wrote:

Still on a single track, having to wait at Athy for the one going in the opposite direction to pass, and still reversing out of Kilkenny

My poiint exactly...I don't think there's much sense in having modern rolling stock on 19th century designed rails! Also annoys me that the far less busy Sligo and Rosslare lines are getting the new carriages before the Waterford line which carries up to 2-3 times more passengers per year as far as I'm aware.

Sully · 13-06-2007 07:58PM

Poor Brendy got all hot and bothered on the radio and made some remarks to the owner of that Centra he keeps objecting to. He has had to issue a full public apology as a result.

Hate that.

(Source: News & Star. Today)

deisemum · 13-06-2007 10:56PM

Sully wrote:

Poor Brendy got all hot and bothered on the radio and made some remarks to the owner of that Centra he keeps objecting to. He has had to issue a full public apology as a result.

Hate that.

(Source: News & Star. Today)

When, where and what happened

fozzle · 13-06-2007 11:28PM

mfitzy wrote:

My poiint exactly...I don't think there's much sense in having modern rolling stock on 19th century designed rails! Also annoys me that the far less busy Sligo and Rosslare lines are getting the new carriages before the Waterford line which carries up to 2-3 times more passengers per year as far as I'm aware.

At least the trains on the Waterford line have the doors outside the carriages, and have enough bathrooms. I'm from Waterford, living in Sligo and I'd rather spend twice as long on the Waterford line as on the Sligo one (it's a dart-style train). I'm not saying the Waterford line doesn't need new carriages and tracks, but don't just blow off the needs of the other lines. More than once I've had to stand from Dublin to Boyle (that's over 100 miles). I've never had to stand from Dublin to Waterford.

*edit* Sorry for the ranting tangent :-) Anyway, BMC = bad, oodles more money being put into Waterford's services and infrastructure = good.

valdonican · 14-06-2007 09:07AM

Bards wrote:

Brendan McCann has publicly said that he will do everything in his power to stop the Dublin/Waterford Motorway from being developed.

Train services are improving. New trains are on order and are being manufactured as I write in South Korea and will be on the Dublin Waterford track during 2008

Plunket station is getting a makeover in time for their arrival and increased services.

As you are a newcomer to these boards I will give you the benefit of doubt, but please do a little research before posting

Let me simplify further, you seem to be a little blinkered in realtion to this subject, but in the spirit of sharing I'm willing to return the benefit of doubt.

These issues have been a problem long before the advent of Brendan McCann in the City. They should have been addressed years ago. Successive national and local governance has more to answer for than a single citizen using/misusing the planning process that has been developed by local and national authorities.

I'm delighted to read that you deal in facts bards, obviously this means you base your assertion that BMcC has a problem akin to streakers a sporting events on extensive psychological analysis and it's not just casual and thoughtless character assasination.

Minfadlek · 14-06-2007 09:40AM

valdonican wrote:

I'm delighted to read that you deal in facts bards, obviously this means you base your assertion that BMcC has a problem akin to streakers a sporting events on extensive psychological analysis and it's not just casual and thoughtless character assasination.

Don't think you did read the thread very well - it was Trotter who I believe simply 'compared' him to a streaker :eek:
Also if it is "character assination", I'm sure your, I mean his, legal counsel could deal with it !

Quigs Snr · 14-06-2007 10:28AM

I think this clown has gotten enough attention now lads and we should just do what the electorate did on election day and forget about him.

valdonican · 14-06-2007 09:42PM

Minfadlek wrote:

Don't think you did read the thread very well - it was Trotter who I believe simply 'compared' him to a streaker :eek:
Also if it is "character assination", I'm sure your, I mean his, legal counsel could deal with it !

My bad, I'll pull out the door on me way out.

Trotter · 15-06-2007 12:48AM

Ok for the record I never said Brendan McCann ever did or intends to run across a football pitch. :rolleyes:

I said some people do that to attract attention.. Which is true.

Brendan McCann seems to me to be objecting in order to raise his public profile.. Maybe I'm wrong.. but thats how I see it.

Ostrom · 15-06-2007 11:56PM

Interesting how most of you seem to be completely ignorant of the fact that many of McCann's objections are drafted and lodged at the request of/in consultation with local residents, or those who would otherwise have neither the time nor experience to work through a proper objection or appeal (egans redevelopment, railway square, and farran park shop for example were with local residents).

As for 'developers avoiding us because of him', I doubt it would matter. What does tend to happen (such as with the proposed brewery redevelopment, or the airport road retail park) is that the interested parties will submit an excessive proposal to test the minimum reductions they need to make. It is a disgraceful waste of paperwork for an already understaffed planning department, and he has taken significant steps toward making it a less attractive option for developers. Whatever about favouring WIT, their plans for the wind turbine (aesthetics aside) seem pretty sound. And the woodstown site objections were led by NUIM academics and Dublin archaeologists, you may as well tag them with 'blow in' aswell.

You really think an average person without at least some experience of the formalities of appeal-drafting would have the first idea of how to proceed? If you're curious, check it out for yourselves. Oh, and stop reading the news and star.

meldrew · 16-06-2007 10:21AM

deisemum wrote:

When, where and what happened

McCann called the shopowner a liar on wlr when the shopowner said that Mccann stood up at a public meeting and stated that no matter what plans were put up for the shop he would be objecting to them , when this was put to Mccann he denied saying it and called the shopowner a liar but he must obviously have threatened Mccann with bringing it further because McCann actually came down to the shop and worded an absolutely grovelling apology which is printed and signed and posted up all over the shop

Bards · 16-06-2007 11:14AM

efla wrote:

Interesting how most of you seem to be completely ignorant of the fact that many of McCann's objections are drafted and lodged at the request of/in consultation with local residents, or those who would otherwise have neither the time nor experience to work through a proper objection or appeal (egans redevelopment, railway square, and farran park shop for example were with local residents).

As for 'developers avoiding us because of him', I doubt it would matter. What does tend to happen (such as with the proposed brewery redevelopment, or the airport road retail park) is that the interested parties will submit an excessive proposal to test the minimum reductions they need to make. It is a disgraceful waste of paperwork for an already understaffed planning department, and he has taken significant steps toward making it a less attractive option for developers. Whatever about favouring WIT, their plans for the wind turbine (aesthetics aside) seem pretty sound. And the woodstown site objections were led by NUIM academics and Dublin archaeologists, you may as well tag them with 'blow in' aswell.

You really think an average person without at least some experience of the formalities of appeal-drafting would have the first idea of how to proceed? If you're curious, check it out for yourselves. Oh, and stop reading the news and star.

where did I or other posters label Brendan McCann a "Blow in".. I should hope that people would not stoop to these kind of parochial divisions.

NUIM were professional archeologists.. Mr. McCann is a maths lecturer, in other words just like you and me when it comes to planning... A Layman.

What is the point in having a staff of professional Planners and elected City Councillors when nealry everything is vetoed by Brendan McCann and the lottery that is An Bord Pleanala.

you could have two idential plans submitted to APB and two very different inspectors will take a look at these plans and one could block it while the other one could give it the go ahead.

I would comapre Mr McCann's planning submissions and his success rate with ABP like shooting a large elephant with a double barrell shot gun at a distance of less than 100 feet by an ametuer marksman.

some of the shot will hit the animal but a lot will miss the mark.

Ostrom · 16-06-2007 01:10PM

Whatever about his professional origins, the fact is he is better placed than anyone now to work through appeals and objections. As for the 'inspector lottery', the customary procedure in many cases (if not most) is to hold an oral hearing with representatives of the Bord (like the 8 month hearings in Dublin at the moment over incineration), professionals (from both sides if possible), the outcome of which will likely determine the recommended amendments to any particular proposal. I hardly consider that a 'lottery'. If you're referring to submissions made to the courts under the 2004 national monuments amendment or critical infrastructure, then yes I would consdier that a (costly and impossibly bureaucratic) lottery.

Working through Enironmental impact assesments, and presenting a valid objection is well beyond reach of most residents, in terms of both time and education, in that respect, you are absolutely correct, the system is very arbitrary (in the sense that very few will have the resolve to work through complete proposals), which makes it all the more critical that people like McCann make themselves available to work through proposals in consultation with concerned parties, or at the very least highlight how easily a defective proposal can make it to planning permission. And if, as you suggest, he holds the ultimate veto, then selective rulings from inspectors should'nt really matter should they?

'when nearly everything is vetoed by Brendan McCann......you could have two idential plans submitted to APB and two very different inspectors will take a look at these plans and one could block it while the other one could give it the go ahead'

Why not ask why proposals are rejected at all? If the critical infrastructure bill passes, it wont really matter, as all mandatory public consultation will be done away with for 'public works projects'.

Ostrom · 16-06-2007 01:13PM

Sorry, the 'blow in' reference was not specific to this thread, but it is something I see quite a lot in discussions of McCann (and it was mentioned earlier), and something which was fired out often throughout the save viking waterford campaign, by coucillors Wilkinson, Kenneally, and News and Star's phoenix amongst others. Nothing parochial implied, seems to be within city council mandate anyway

Minfadlek · 16-06-2007 02:45PM

efla wrote:

McCann's objections are drafted and lodged at the request of/in consultation with local residents, or those who would otherwise have neither the time nor experience to work through a proper objection or appeal

Well I never knew such a service existed :rolleyes: We recently had to lodge an objection to a neighbour's invasive proposed extension (because it concerned us), and I have to say I found the process a little daunting, but with the kind help & guidance of a 'civil servent' (I now like that title), got it done just fine.... !
Should I require Mr McCann's services, how does 'one' go about employing them

People have been objecting/appealing for years (usually to what concerns them), why suddenly do we/they need his 'guidence/assistence/whatever' ?

Brendan McCann

Comments