The high-powered National Millennium Committee, under the chairmanship of Government chief whip, Seamus Brennan, met again this week, for the third occasion, to organise our celebrations, but despite having £30 million to spend and receiving hundreds of ideas from the public, no major overall millennium project has been identified yet.
Many environmental suggestions, from new forests to conservation tasks, have been suggested, as well as academic competitions, but only a joint North-South refurbishment of the site of the Battle of the Boyne in Co Louth is being seriously considered as the major project. To take all the suggestions on board would cost £400 million, but a new coin, a new stamp and a new song from Ronan Keating have been agreed on.
The extra once-off bank holiday on New Year's Eve, Friday December 31st, was introduced not only to add to the jollity but to synchronise with Northern Ireland. Seamus Brennan says his committee, which includes Cork's Peter Barry, businessmen Lochlann Quinn and How- ard Kilroy, ICTU's Patricia O'Donovan, U2's Paul McGuinness, Boyzone's Ronan, Monica McWilliams of the NI Women's Coalition and author Deirdre Purcell, will establish a millennium appeals fund for people in need, to which he hopes the public will donate their bank holiday pay.