A letter to the Democrat from one Gertrude O’Connell, Bruckless, commends columnist Patsy McGowan and says the paper is privileged to have such a correspondent. In a otherwise bland publication, Patsy’s contribution most weeks is what makes the paper worth buying. You can get the education and attend all the journalistic courses you like, but none will teach you what Patsy knows - when it comes to writing, put it down as it is.
People identify with those whose thoughts strike a chord – whose experiences fit in with real life and whose use of words trigger an emotion. You can get too much of the John Waters, Vincent Brown type of hyperbole in the nationals. It’s refreshing to have Patsy dissect the Sacred Cows and let us have it - blemishes, warts and all.
The easiest thing when making a judgement on a controversial issue is to take the popular line – you won’t go far wrong - and you’re always safe from any form of criticism. Of late the Times has come in for a barrage of abuse for calling local issues as we see them. ‘Negative’ is a word that has been assigned to us for not agreeing that everything is rosy in the garden - and for speaking out when we think a wrong has been done.
So let us now state clearly our position on a range of local issues that have been exercising the minds of our fellow citizens over recent weeks and lay down clearly how we feel.
On the development front, our opinion is that Bennett’s should be allowed to proceed without hindrance to develop its sites at Drimlonagher and the Mullans. Equally that the Keeney sites at Revlin and Magees should advance without obstruction. The two internal sites ie. Mullans and Magees can shoot it out for the multiple - but all ancillary units should complement each other and create retail variety in a town that badly need it.
Now the mart is a more complex issue. A natural extension to the Magee site, it would obviously be a very valuable asset to Keeney and the Drimarone man has fought a huge battle to gain control of, and then retain, its facilities.

Here is where the paper probably deviates from the popular line. It is our opinion that, after the amount of work, effort, time and money Danny Keeney put into trying to accommodate the mart committee - if a bit more goodwill had been shown to the local developer, a compromise could have been reached that would have suited both sides - we are also not convinced that he should have forfeited his deposit.
The mart site on its own is not of much use to Bennett. To be viable, the company would also need to acquire the Bosco, and possibly enter into negotiations with the Timony family to procure their Milltown Estate.
So with the four sites mentioned, along with Michael Kelly’s on Miller’s Hill and Daniel Gallagher’s at Ardlenagh, there is at least 60 acres around town available for development - not counting the mart, Bosco or Timony sites - surely enough to provide the area with all it needs in retail, residential, commercial and industrial facilities.
To sum up - we feel that no obstacles should be put in the way of Bennett to develop Drimlonagher as a bulky-goods/retail and business park – similarly at the Mullins for his projected multiple and ancillary units. Keeney should go ahead with Revlin – in our opinion as a leisure, recreational and residential site, including hotel, marina, cinema, housing and apartments. His Magee site should proceed as shown at the presentation in the Abbey, and subsequently reproduced in the Times, including retail, housing, arts building, tweed interpretive centre, river walk and bridges.
There is enough room for both developers – and plenty of industrial, retail, commercial and leisure facilities are needed in town - certainly enough to fill their existing sites. The danger for the mart committee lies in Bennett being refused permission at Tullyearl - or if planning is granted for major retail at other locations. This could leave the agri-unit sitting high and dry - with the likelihood of soon having to fork out many thousands of euro to upgrade its facility at Milltown.