Louth bridge could be ‘The Kneecap Bridge of Peace’ if protocol not followed in future

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

The decision to rename the Bridge of Peace in Drogheda has “shone a light on the process” which could lead to someone proposing it be renamed the “Kneecap Bridge of Peace” in fifty years time, according to a Louth councillor.

Clarity was needed around the changing of names on public buildings or infrastructure, Louth County Council heard at their October meeting.

Cllr. John Sheridan highlighted the motion from Cllr. Kevin Callan which came before the monthly meeting of Drogheda Borough District, asking for the Bridge of Peace to be renamed in honour of St. Oliver Plunkett.

The motion had passed, with the decision to rename it as the St. Oliver Plunkett Bridge of Peace.

Cllr. John Sheridan said he has been on the Place Naming Committee for six years, and would have received a lot of “informal requests” around naming of places etc.

He said that issues around naming “need to be clarified and Cllr. Callan’s motions had highlighted this.”

Cllr. Sheridan explained that the Place Naming committee only deals with new housing developments, but that there had been a protocol adopted in 2019 that governs naming of infrastructure.

“I think it was around the time of the McNeela walkway (a river walkway in Dundalk named after a local member of the Irish Defence Forces killed in Lebanon while serving with the United Nations) being named, so it was adopted for that reason.”

He said there was a process around naming and renaming that had to be followed.

A similar motion had been put forward by Ardee Municipal District in relation to what they call the Castlegard road.

“But if a motion passed in Drogheda and in Ardee, then it needs to be acted upon in line with the protocol.”

He added that it seemed there had been a lot of support for the motion introduced at the Drogheda Borough District meeting, “and that is fair enough.”

“But we have to be strict about this as a notice of motion can’t just go in to rename something, and then it is passed, even if there is good will around it.”

“With the greatest of respect, in fifty years time will somebody propose the Kneecap Bridge of Peace?”

He added: “It has shone a light on this whole process, which I think is really important.”

Meanwhile, the process of naming bridges in Drogheda should be rolled out in Dundalk, said Cllr. Fisher as it would be beneficial in an emergency situation for people to be able to identify exactly where they are.