Wexford councillor warned not to follow the Bull McCabe’s lead as fight for local field enters its sixth year

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

While he is unlikely to resort to murder and subterfuge, Councillor Jim Codd’s continued efforts to see a field in Taghmon, Co Wexford used for housing have seen him compared to one Bull McCabe, the protagonist in John B Keane’s play and Jim Sheridan’s Oscar-nominated film The Field.

Since first being elected in 2019, Cllr Codd has repeatedly enquired about the status of the field, located behind the Taghmon Action Group (TAG) building. And at the most recent meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD) he returned to what has become a familiar refrain.

“I’m continually contacted by people in dire need of accommodation in the Taghmon area, meanwhile throughout my time as an elected member of Wexford County Council (WCC) I have spoken about the need to develop that field in Taghmon,” he said.

"There’s only been one pre-planning meeting with an approved housing body (AHB) about developing that field, and Eddie Taaffe (chief executive of WCC) has said if these AHBs do not move fast enough we would take the field back from them and advance with it ourselves.”

Describing how he is regularly contacted by young mothers “in tears” because they can’t find somewhere to house their children, Cllr Codd said the council was failing on the “basic fundamentals of life” if it couldn’t provide housing for its people.

Having listened to Cllr Codd talk about that field for the best part of six years, cathaoirleach of the RMD Cllr Ger Carthy feared it was an obsession which could soon get out of hand.

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“You’re like the Bull McCabe with that field now,” he said.

“Maybe the RMD needs a Bull McCabe,” replied a clearly flattered Cllr Codd.

Noting that Richard Harris’s character ultimately resorted to violence to acquire his field, Cllr Carthy advised his colleague to tread carefully in the pursuit of justice.

“Don’t go to the lengths he went to to get the field back now,” he said.