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A proposal to erect a monument in Castlebar as a mark of appreciation to two Roman Catholic curates for their outstanding work in the parish during the famine has run into a hitch. Members of the local Urban Council are not satisfied the two priests, namely Fr. Michael Curley and Fr. Peter Geraghty, should be the only people honoured in this way. The issue was raised at a meeting of the authority by Mr. Frank Durcan who tabled a motion calling on the elected members to formally agree to the erection of the monument at Market Square. But Mr. Durcan was disappointed when he did not receive the unanimous support of the members. Mr. Paul Ainsworth was the first to express concern about the matter. The Fianna Fail councillor said there was a lot of other people who did trojan work in Castlebar during the famine. He was not familiar with the history of the two curates in question, but felt the council should examine all other options before making a final decision. Mr. Paddy McGuinness was also worried about rushing into a decision. He said: "There should be a consultation process before any agreement is made. I'd like to see what the public has to say. "The whole issue of the famine can be acknowledged by way of a monument. But I don't think we should say these are the people who should be honoured in particular." Mr. Sean Bourke said he appreciated the tremendous work the two curates carried out in helping the people of Castlebar during the famine years. He agreed there was a need for consultation and deliberation before any firm decision was made. Mr. Durcan said he was standing firmly by what he proposed. "These priests set up a system which made 400 local families self-sufficient. What they achieved set off a chain reaction throughout the entire country. "They deserve to be honoured publicly in this town, and there should be no dissension whatsoever. "We already acknowledge people in Castlebar who lived by the bomb and the bullet." Mr. Johnny Mee lent his full support to Mr. Durcan's motion. He said Fr. Curley and Fr. Geraghty symbolised others whop helped to alleviate distress, poverty and hunger. "We have to remember it was not the popular thing to help the poor. They were thrown into workhouses where conditions were dreadful. "By honouring these priests, we will be remembering all those who were downtrodden during this awful period."
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