Controversy as FG elder statesman to be made freeman

ELDER statesman Peter Barry is to be made a freeman of Cork.

It follows a 20-6 vote by the city’s councillors yesterday supporting the Lord Mayor Councillor Dara Murphy’s proposal to confer the honour on the former Fine Gael tánaiste. It is expected the ceremony will take place in early June.

But the procedure by which future freemen are nominated is to be radically overhauled after Mr Barry’s nomination was mired in controversy.