Dance Protest Cockhill Bridge Saturday 18th October 2014
Innocence on the Bridge – A Special Report by resident Tony Grant
Pictures will bear witness to the sheer joy and excitement displayed by Elite Dance Crew on Saturday afternoon on Cockhill Bridge. The all Ireland Hip Hop dance champion group strutted their stuff on a fine afternoon flanked by parents and supporters – and politicians who tried to get in on the act.
What was billed as a “Dance Protest” turned out to be great entertainment; and fun was had by all except the politicians who had to take some stick from the organisers for their inaction on providing safe access to Cockhill amenities.
The children in particular must be commended for their Hip-Hop skills displayed during the protest and apologies to the very patient motorists who took it all in their stride. Not a cross word was spoken except towards the politicians present.
They have shown very little leadership on the issue over the years and in fairness to Padraig Mac Lochlainn, he at least admitted this to the organisers after the protest. He said that collectively all of the councillors have been responsible for the disgrace that is Cockhill Bridge.
Does this mean that we are going to see some action at last towards the provision of a pedestrian footbridge? I think not.
The politicians would be more pleased if we just went away and left them alone to do what they do in a way that they like to do it.
It is up to the residents of Cockhill and the wider community if they are going to allow the politicians to walk away and to forget once again about the safe access to Cockhill amenities.
Think of the dance troupe yesterday, the effort by their dance teacher Clare McCarron in putting this National Champion group together and the leadership, quality of life, social skills, self-esteem not to mention dancing skills that she is providing our young people, she has to be commended for this. We the community need to provide them in return with safe access to school, church and local amenities.
How bad have things become when our children have to come out on to the streets to protest for a basic need, a safe walkway to and from school.
Cockhill Bridge Action Group are busy digging up information from the archives in Carndonagh Civic Offices in an effort to find out about Development levies raised for a pedestrian footbridge by Donegal County Council in 2008. Watch this space.
Tony Grant
