Opposition grows to Bloomberg Sligo visit

Opposition is growing to a visit by the Mayor of New York to Ballymote to unveil Ireland's National monument to the Fighting 69th Regiment and Brigadier General Michael Corcoran later this month.

Local Fine Gael TD and chief organiser of the visit John Perry is today being called on to cancel his invitation to Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the wake of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

Mayor Bloomberg has gone on the record as praising the Israeli action and fully supports their ongoing war against Hizbollah.

Speculation is strong that he's coming to Sligo on the 22 August but this has yet to be confirmed by his office.

Today Ballymote former local election candidate Tim Mulcahy claims there is growing public opposition to his visit.

Last week Sligo Councillor Declan Bree criticized the invitation to Mayor Bloomberg to come to Ballymote. He suggested that someone other than Mayor Bloomberg should be invited to unveil the Ballymote monument because of what Clr. Bree said was Bloomberg’s support for “the Israeli war of aggression” against Lebanon and the Palestinians.

Clr. Bree also claimed today’s 69th Regiment was “part of the occupying army in Iraq.”