Sligo County Council has today begun a clean-up of the Connaughton Road Car Park in Sligo Town.
It follows the departure yesterday evening of the McGinley family from the car park where they have lived for almost 40 years.
In the end, it was almost an anti-climax.
On a dark, wet November evening, the McGinley family moved out of the Connaughton Road Car Park, their vehicles towing the last of their four caravans behind them.
Their destination — a recently renovated facility in another part of Sligo town, at Alma Terrace in Finisklin.
17-years old Willie McGinley was born and reared in the Connaughton Road Car Park, just one of the four generations for whom the area was home.
The departure of the family was a quiet, relatively quick affair, a contrast to previous occasions when workers on behalf of the council arrived to carry out clean-ups, backed up by gardai.
Yesterday evening, for what was the final chapter in a 36-year saga, there were no council staff present, no gardai . . . just a family moving out.
Willie McGinley said they had moved into the car park of their own free will.
And he insisted they were also moving out of their own free will.
About an hour after the McGinleys had left the car park, a JCB under the supervision of council staff arrived and moved large concrete boulders into place blocking the entrance to the car park.
The local authority was, in a more than a symbolic way, taking back full control.
Sligo County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Tom MacSharry said he was pleased to see progress finally being made on this issue as the situation was completely unsuitable and unsustainable for all concerned.
The former chairman of the Sligo Business Improvement District, Finbarr Filan, praised both the McGinley family, the council and others involved for their work in finally resolving the long-running issue.
Meanwhile, Sligo County Council says its housing section will continue to provide the McGinley families with the supports required in their new accommodation in Finisklin.
