Legacy of former town clerk to be visible around Navan for generations

Fergus Muldoon was a man 'whose legacy could be seen in the very fabric of Navan', the Mayor of Navan, Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons, remarked at the council official"s recent retirement function. Mr Muldoon, who is retiring after over 40 years" service to Meath local authorities, was at the receiving end of tributes at a recent function in the Newgrange Hotel, Navan. Among those who joined the gathering were the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, and two county managers, Jackie Maguire, Leitrim, and Danny McLoughlin, Westmeath, both former colleagues of Mr Muldoon in Meath. Former MEP Jim Fitzsimons and former Labour party TD Frank McLoughlin, who worked with Mr Muldoon in the past, were also present. Best wishes were also sent from former Meath county managers Frank O"Brien and Joe Horan. Cllr Fitzsimons said that when Mr Muldoon"s grandchildren and generations to come were walking around Navan, they would see his mark on many of the streets. Among Mr Muldoon"s positions was that of town clerk. His first position with Meath County Council was during his summer holidays from school, as a wardsman at Our Lady"s Hospital, at a time when the local authority ran the health service and the matron kept strict control on cleanliness and tidiness. In 1966, Mr Muldoon joined the staff of the council as a clerical officer in the health section, working under Jim Roche in the County Clinic. A year later, he was transferred to the finance section in County Hall, where he had 'the most boring job I have ever had, that lasted for months' - putting cashed paying orders in numerical order. The engineers" section was Mr Muldoon"s next move. 'I remember one day receiving a call from a man who was complaining bitterly about some activity of a neighbour of his,' he recalled. 'When I had got the details from him, I asked him for his name. He said 'I wish to remain unanimous" and slammed down the phone.' In 1975, Mr Muldoon was appointed staff officer in housing construction, dealing with the building programme, allocation of tenancies, rent collection, land purchase for housing and other related matters. Nine years later, he moved to the general and personnel section as staff officer. 'At the time, the office dealt with a wide range of activities from Higher Education Grants and staff recruitment to sheep dipping and cow plots. One of my major goals in that office was the elimination of sheep scab in County Meath. Disappointingly, I did not achieve that before I moved to the roads department in 1987!' Mr Muldoon laughed. During his time in roads, Meath County Council undertook its first major road contract scheme, the Clonee by-pass, and Mr Muldoon worked closely with the engineer in charge of the project, Malachi Jenkins. 'Because of the experience we gained on the Clonee by-pass, we also dealt with the Compulsory Purchase Order for the Bru na Boinne Visitors" Centre at Newgrange,' Mr Muldoon explained. Periods in Information Technology and the Environment Section followed, before Mr Muldoon became town clerk in Navan in 1998. 'Shortly after I arrived to the town council, paid parking was introduced to Navan for the first time. This did not improve my popularity, and while I got a fair bit of stick at the beginning, it eventually died down,' he recalled. In late 1999, he also took on the role of Navan area administrator in addition to town clerk, which added significantly to the workload in Town Hall. During this time, in addition to the more usual functions of the council, Navan embarked on its first town winning with Bobbio in Northern Italy. 'We also conferred the Freedom of Navan for the first time,' he recalled. 'The recipient was Pierce Brosnan, aka James Bond. The event generated great publicity for the town as it was broadcast all over the world.' A number of major projects were pursued, including the theatre and arts centre, now in operation, the Kennedy Road Civic Space, which has been completed, the proposed new town park for which the land has been purchased, the Fair Green project and the Market Square project, which is to proceed in the near future. In 2005, Mr Muldoon commenced work on the boundary extension proposals for Navan, Trim and Kells, and the Navan proposals have been submitted. 'Looking back over the years, I have to say I got great fulfilment and enjoyment from my time working with Meath local authorities,' Mr Muldoon said. 'There is a great variety in the work and I experienced this most in Navan Town Council.' He added he also enjoyed working with elected representatives, whom he found fair and reasonable, who have a difficult task representing a demanding electorate. Eugene Cummins, Navan area manager, presented a painting of Watergate Street to Mr Muldoon, on behalf of the council, while Cllr Fitzsimons presented a decanter and glass set on behalf of the elected members. Martin Rogers paid tribute on behalf of the 'Friday Night Club", of which Mr Muldoon will continue to be a member after his retirement.