Quote from: Nally Stand on June 28, 2011, 11:50:35 AMQuote from: spiritof91and94 on June 28, 2011, 10:59:52 AM
remember as well his colleague jim wells forced ulster bank to apologise for wearing down tops in castlewellan 2 days before 2010 AI Final - he felt intimidated!
two weeks later he was quoted in the local media informing nationalists to remove Down Flags in South Down.
then there was 'wellsgate' - when he contravened all council policies by texting his colleague poots from the chamber to overturn a planning approval involving bryansford gac.
He was never once challenged by SF over this!
"Bryansford needs to make this move in order to expand and meet the needs of the growing numbers of people who play Gaelic football, hurling and camogie for the club. It is therefore quite disgraceful that the DUP, and in particular Jim Wells, did everything possible to prevent this application. This policy was based on an anti-GAA bias which has influenced Mr Wells in how he has approached this planning application."
Joint statement from Catriona Ruane & Willie Clarke (SF)
"Sinn Fein councillor Willie Clarke accused Mr. Wells of attacking the GAA for "cheap publicity."
"I too did not make anything public about this scheme because it gives bigoted people who have not moved on the opportunity to attack nationalists," he said.
"This is scaremongering about the GAA, which takes young people off the streets."
Tensions in the chamber were further aggravated when Mr. Clarke said he had not been approached by any objectors to the scheme with Mr. Wells retorting that they "would get knee-capped" if they did.
He later withdrew the comment, which he said had been intended to be "facetious."
The Down Recorder
"South Down Sinn Féin MLA Willie Clarke has written to the Environment Minister Edwin Poots, MLA, seeking clarification on remarks made recently by Cllr Jim Wells during a Council debate about the planning application for Bryansford GAA Club. Mr Clarke said, "The behaviour of Jim Wells during this debate was absolutely disgraceful, and his party leader Peter Robinson has also received a letter from my colleague Mickey Coogan, who is demanding a public apology from Mr Wells for remarks made about the GAA and me personally. A letter has also been sent to the Chairperson of Council, Cllr William Dick, asking him in his role as DUP group leader on the Council to discipline Cllr Wells for his behaviour."
Sinn Féin Press Release
whatever came of the DUP apologies - i certainly never seen or heard any.
ULSTER BANK has been forced to apologise to the Orange Order after members were offended by the attire of its staff – who were wearing Down GAA jerseys in the days up to the All-Ireland Football Final.
The Order's grand secretary Drew Nelson wrote to the bank – who are one of the title sponsors of the GAA's Football All-Ireland Senior Championships – to complain about the jerseys being worn by staff at the Castlewellan branch in the county.
"As a responsible stakeholder in society," Nelson write, "the Loyal Orange Institution is keen to encourage local businesses and personalities to become more involved with the local community and its activities.
"With this in mind, and given the recent display of encouragement for the County Down Gaelic team, representatives from the institution would be keen to meet with you to discuss how the bank can also engage with and support local Orange lodges in the Castlewellan area in terms of community development and sponsorship or support for mini-Twelfth or Twelfth of July related festivals in the near future."
The branch manager wrote back to acknowledge the discomfort caused to Orange Order members as a result, and offering to meet with him to discuss sponsorship for other events.
"I am obviously aware of the discomfort caused to your members as a result of our support for the Down gaelic football team. I can assure you that we had no intention other than to celebrate their success in the All-Ireland championship," the response read.
"You will appreciate that Down's first final appearance for 16 years generated a lot of interest, especially since a colleague based in our Newry branch [forward Danny Hughes] plays for the team.
"If we failed to control our enthusiasm in participating with other businesses in Castlewellan's "red and black" celebrations, then I sincerely apologise. I hope you will accept that our actions were in no way intended to be provocative, and that any offence we have caused is entirely unconventional."
