'We need to listen to each other respectfully,' says Athlone Mayor in end-of-year speech

Athlone Mayor and local Green Party councillor, Louise Heavin, made an impassioned appeal for people to “listen to each other respectfully” during her end-of-year address at the December meeting of the local municipal district.

Addressing members of the executive and her council colleagues, Cllr Heavin said a new word – polarisation – has come into the common vocabulary over the past year, and pointed out that people have “more in common than is different”.

She asked for everyone to “try to work towards unity” and said there is a need to “appreciate diversity” and to “listen to each other respectfully”.

Referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the breakdown of law and order on the streets of Dublin and elsewhere, and the war in Gaza, she said peace begins, first and foremost, in “our own homes, our own communities and with the people we work with,” and she appealed to each and every person to “do their utmost” to contribute to achieving that peace.

Cllr Heavin described the Christmas holiday period as “a special time of year” and she said her thoughts turned to family and community, and also to the “many displaced people” who have come to Ireland to seek refuge.

She paid tribute to the Defence Forces who work in conflict zones and to the emergency services who provide a vital service to the community and she also thanked the council executive, outdoor staff and her council colleagues for their contribution throughout the year.