The chairman of Mayo County Council has vowed that The Lord's Prayer will continue to be recited before all council meetings. Newly elected Mayor Cllr Michael Burke (pictured) made his comments this week in light of controversy at a meeting of the neighbouring Roscommon County Council last week.
At the recent meeting of the Roscommon local authority and as reported in CiNews, newly elected Mayor Cllr Luke “Ming” Flanagan refused to recite a prayer before council meetings, with the authority's deputy mayor Cllr Ernie Keenan having to do so.
At the time Cllr Flanagan stated that he had no objection to the prayer being recited but been a non-believer, said it would be hypocritical of him to do so. Speaking at the meeting of the Mayo local authority Cllr Burke said that the majority of council meetings start with a prayer.
However, he said that while the Roscommon situation raised questions particularly for newly elected mayors who are non-believers the practice would continue at meetings of Mayo County Council.
He added, “It is a tradition that should be kept. It is there a long time and I have no problem with it and I don't know any councillor on Mayo County Council that does as nobody has ever raised the issue with me.”
He added that, “If Cllr Flanagan felt he would be a hypocrite to have said the prayer as a non-believer then he was right not to do so.”
SIC: CIN