[galwayrush]

Originally Posted by mconigol

...how about announcing some actual jobs!

'Good news days 'are saved for pre election bull **** announcements.

[Robbo]

Why can't I get rid of the image of Mary O'Rourke with a lampshade on her head and a Chinese investor peering in the window at her, like in Father Ted?

The Chinese, a great bunch of lads.

[CerebralCortex]

Why the hell would you put something like that in Athlone?

[galwayrush]

Originally Posted by CerebralCortex

Why the hell would you put something like that in Athlone?

Probably something to do with the people who paid way too much for the land in the first place. Guess their investment is now immune from the effects of the property crash.

Perhaps labour costs are lower in Athlone compared to China.

[Irish and Proud]

Originally Posted by invinciblePRSTV

Let's file this next to Offaly International airport and the Tipperary Superbowl arena.

...buy maybe such off the wall proposals are fronts to distract from other controversial developments in the relevant localities!

[Stinicker]

Originally Posted by Robbo

Why can't I get rid of the image of Mary O'Rourke with a lampshade on her head and a Chinese investor peering in the window at her, like in Father Ted?

The Chinese, a great bunch of lads.

Those Chinese, I tells ya, they worked like blacks.

[dolanbaker]

Sure! they can all fly into Arklow International airport

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...273271194.html

PLANS FOR an international airport near Arklow have been given an enthusiastic welcome by members of Wicklow County Council.

The proposals, backed by businessman Pascal Taggart, envisage the development on a site – as yet unspecified – of about 600 acres south of Arklow town.

Why do we provide English comedians with so much material!

[ishtarcelt]

http://www.westmeathindependent.ie/n...elopment/print

[donvito99]

i have seen plans for this and have to confirm that it is very real. Although, i still cant see it happening. the buildings themselves look ridiculous!

[murphaph]

I'm still trying to figure out exactly what is being proposed here!

[dolanbaker]

Originally Posted by murphaph

I'm still trying to figure out exactly what is being proposed here!

My best guess is that a group of speculators have acquired large areas of land to the east of the town and are trying to "sell" it as a future Chinatown, as in an area where Chinese enterprises can establish new business.

Whether the Chinese really want anything to do with it or not, is another story.

[KindOfIrish]

"Local developers paid €50m for the land at Creggan during the Celtic Tiger peak and, given the property crash, are keen to see the ambitious plan take off."

This is the key to the issue. The land probably cost no more than 5 million at the moment. Somebody wants to help a friend.

[Amtmann]

Can't help but feel that something of this scale should go to Cork, Limerick or Galway rather than Athlone (no offence to Athlone).

[drunkmonkey]

It needs to go to a Port area, something like they have in Naples where goods can be manufactured with cheap labour and sent all over the world.

Does athlone have a port?

[veryangryman]

Originally Posted by Furet

Can't help but feel that something of this scale should go to Cork, Limerick or Galway rather than Athlone (no offence to Athlone).

Plenty of offence taken! Only messing

Athlone has many advantages over the other 3 though...

1) Cheaper
2) More central
3) Closer to Dublin, while (already mentioned) much cheaper

Lets say (maye pie in sky so wont list this as an adv for now) that this plus airport in Offaly built. Surely the town and its environs will balloon in population . The 10K lampshade jobs will make hundreds if not thousands more jobs in services, expaning the college and other facilities in the area and thus long-term making Athlone into a city perhaps the size of Waterford.

Again its all very ambitious right now, so i do say it with a pinch of salt