NAAS 10 February 2003: Naas Town Council has failed to agree a proposal from the local Sisters of Mercy that would see the Moat being handed over to the town. The offer was contingent on the Council carrying out much needed repairs including repairs to the wall at the base of the structure.
After a heated discussion during which it became apparent that the proposal would fail to get majority support, Mayor Timmy Conway withdrew his motion at a recent Town Council meeting. Most members felt the cost, said to be over E100,000, was far too high.
The historic Moat, which is owned by the nuns, is situated off Abbey Road, behind the Town Hall.
Mayor Conway said this is the first time the Moat has been offered to the local Council. He added that ‘even if it was given to us with no strings attached we would have to repair the retaining wall - part of which is disintegrating’.
He said the Council has been looking to get the Moat into the town’s ownership since he was elected to the Council. He believed the Sisters ‘would never have the money’ to maintain it properly. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and I propose we accept it,” he enthused.
The nuns had offered the Moat prior to the adoption of the 1999 Town Development Plan in return for the rezoning of land in their ownership. However, they did not get all they sought and the offer fell through.
Backing the proposal, Cllr Seamie Moore said the Moat is synonymous with the town of Naas. He believed it would be ‘tremendous’ to have it in the Council’s ownership and to be able to give it a ‘once-off facelift’.
Cllr Pat O’Reilly said he had ‘great reservations’ about the offer. He believed the cost to be ‘excessive’. He ‘couldn’t understand’ why this has suddenly come to light.
He recalled how the Sisters had closed off the old road from the Abbey Road to the parish church to make way for an extension to their secondary school. He didn’t see why ‘we should now take on this liability’.
He said the house on top of the Moat would not be coming into the Council’s ownership and advocated they should be ‘very careful’ before making a decision.
Repairs to the mound would involve the hiring of an archaeologist which would add to the overall cost to the Council.
Cllr Charlie Byrne said he could not support the motion. He recalled ‘the only thing the Moat was ever good for was sliding down it on a tin tray’ - the ‘entertainment’ it gave to the young people of Naas. “There’s nobody going to take it away tomorrow or the next day. Nobody’s going to come in with a bulldozer and level it off,” he said, adding: “If they spend E100,000 on it, I think the people of the town would like to see that money being spent on some of our Council houses and footpaths or something else in the town.”
Cllr Willie Callaghan said they should wait until they know ‘the true cost’ in taking over the Moat while Cllr Eibhlin Bracken wanted the offer to include the private house at the top. “It should be the lot ... or not at all.”
Cllr Pat McCarthy asked where would the money come from and what would suffer as a result. He remembered how ‘Mayor Conway told the people of the town when the 1999 Town Development Plan was passed, we would be getting it. It’s coming now ... with strings attached.” He believed councillors should hold their fire on this offer for the present.
Town clerk Declan Kirrane said the money would come from the Council’s capital account. He said the proposal was contingent on a number of works being done. He would not recommend they take it on unless the Council was in a position to carry out remedial work as parts of the wall require immediate attention.
Mayor Conway then said even if the Moat was given to the Council free of charge ‘we have a duty to repair the wall’. “The Sisters offered us that when we were rezoning the land,” he said.
Cllr Pat O’Reilly interrupted to say: “They didn’t get what they were looking for!”
“I don’t want to go into that now,” snapped the Mayor.
“If they were going to give us a financial contribution it would be something,” Cllr O’Reilly said.
“It’s vital this town gets the Moat,” the Mayor retorted. However, he said he would withdraw the motion as he didn’t want to see it defeated.
It was agreed to write to the Sisters and explain the position.
