Wexford venue closes doors

RadioRetro

Wexford's South Main Street urgently needs a revitalisation plan to help businesses survive, according to a publican who has taken the decision to close down.

Finegans pub closed its doors last night (Tuesday) after the owners, Paul and Moya Finegan who bought the premises six years ago, decided it was not viable to continue.

'Everything is happening in North Main Street', said Paul who is now considering alternative business options. He is holding on to the premises and retaining the licence in the short term.

Finegan's was redesigned as a music and comedy venue about a year ago and underwent a complete re-design.

But with the North end firmly established as the nightlife quarter of the town, it proved difficult to attract enough business to make it worthwhile.

More at Unison (free sub required).

I find this very disturbing for the future of South Main Street as a whole. It has been noticeable that the number of people passing through the area and not stopping until they reach the north end of town is increasing. The Sky and the Ground is not as full as it once was. Finegans (round the corner from my gaff) is, indeed, all chained up and looking very forlorn. It's a sad loss as it's an excellent music and comedy venue following it's entire redesign.

fifth

Tesco is leaving south main street, xtravision is leaving south main street and a few other places are closing too. South main street just isn't viable for business I presume.

road_high

So much of that area needs to be redevloped. That area where Tesco are is a throughback to a byegone era. Wexford Borough Council need to come up with some sort of drastic area plan for the whole centre of Wexford. It needs some sort of focal point like the Market Cross in Kilkenny or City Square in Waterford to breath new life into it. People will not be enticed form neighbouring counties to Wexford as it is unfortunately...

RadioRetro

I believe the old Tesco site and Lowney's Mall along with the 147 Club building are all going to be replaced by a hotel.

CountryWise

I know this is a bit of an issue but when Tesco opens where Pierces used to be it will attract an awful lot of people down that end of the down,this in turn will cause shops and pubs to open and be successful once again but anyway that end of the town lacks the infrastructure to cater for any amount of crowds!
on another note...with so many nightclubs opened recently and the general night life improvment people have less need to stay in pubs like the sky and the ground all evening.......

Zhane

funkyflea wrote:

Tesco is leaving south main street, xtravision is leaving south main street and a few other places are closing too. South main street just isn't viable for business I presume.

Xtravision is leaving the south main street?

upthere

Wexford people used to say Enniscorthy and Ross were crap, any decent thing is walking out of Wexford. Wexford is only handy for people who live around it really, its out of the way.

Zhane

upthere wrote:

Wexford people used to say Enniscorthy and Ross were crap, any decent thing is walking out of Wexford. Wexford is only handy for people who live around it really, its out of the way.

Whats exactly walking out of Wexford?

fifth

Zhane wrote:

Xtravision is leaving the south main street?

Yeah, it's leaving after christmas, moving up to where the post office is by selskar opposite that womans clothes shop 'vila'.

It's too quite down south main street.

edit: It should be moved by March/April. Don't know what's going in there when it's gone.

Zhane

funkyflea wrote:

Yeah, it's leaving after christmas, moving up to where the post office is by selskar opposite that womans clothes shop 'vila'.

It's too quite down south main street.

edit: It should be moved by March/April. Don't know what's going in there when it's gone.

Yeah its pretty dead past South 51 isnt it. But to be honest, how exciting can about 10 Colman Doyle shops be? He probably owns 90% of the street anyway.

lazylad

Zhane wrote:

Yeah its pretty dead past South 51 isnt it. But to be honest, how exciting can about 10 Colman Doyle shops be? He probably owns 90% of the street anyway.

:eek:

fifth

Zhane wrote:

Yeah its pretty dead past South 51 isnt it. But to be honest, how exciting can about 10 Colman Doyle shops be? He probably owns 90% of the street anyway.

Aaaaand, I bet he'll rent / buy up the Xtravision premises too!

Apparently his profits are down too, now this is a smart man who knows what to do with his money- if he's being affected by south main street's decline then I'll say no more.

In a few years time there'll be

"Welcome to county wexford, go right for North Main street, go left for Colman Doyle Plaza-ville".

Woo, more furniture and paint shops.

RadioRetro

funkyflea wrote:

Yeah, it's leaving after christmas, moving up to where the post office is by selskar opposite that womans clothes shop 'vila'.

It is? Why have two shops so close to each other? It doesn't make sense.

Zhane

RadioRetro wrote:

It is? Why have two shops so close to each other? It doesn't make sense.

I was thinking that myself. Unless the poster was confused and it was the North main street one moving further onto the town to a bigger premises? There would be no point having the two so close together as you said.

Phat Chance

I think the new Tesco is in a horrible area (not to mention it being the visual equivalent of a pus filled carbuncle). Those roads down from Bride St. are already bad, how is a huge supermarket going to help traffic. Only plus I can see is having less traffic on the quay. Plus it blocked my friends houses telly, so now all they get is snow. Evil corporate b*****ds! :P

'Tis very sad to hear about Finnegans closing. Was a great place. He should set up a comedy club in the North Main St. somewhere, Wexford needs a bit of laughter.

fifth

Zhane wrote:

I was thinking that myself. Unless the poster was confused and it was the North main street one moving further onto the town to a bigger premises? There would be no point having the two so close together as you said.

No, I was right the first time

RadioRetro

On another note, the Selskar Bar is closing for good on the 6th. Woohoo! Another boutique, just what we need!

Zhane

RadioRetro wrote:

On another note, the Selskar Bar is closing for good on the 6th. Woohoo! Another boutique, just what we need!

Is that on the corner opposite Spectrum? Always seemed abit scruffy to me.

RadioRetro

Yep, that's the one. And I agree with you, haven't darkened its door in many a year.

Zhane

I heard New Look was goin into the new place on the main streert beside Lifestyle Sports. Also anyone know whats goin into the site where Joyces were situated? I'v heard River Island but i cant see it happening, Though iv also heard its gonna be the Front Entrance to the Theatre Royal.

RadioRetro

I don't think it's a new entrance to the theatre, I believe that's staying where it is in High Street. I take it the former Kelly's Bakery is what you are referring to regarding New Look?

Zhane

RadioRetro wrote:

I don't think it's a new entrance to the theatre, I believe that's staying where it is in High Street. I take it the former Kelly's Bakery is what you are referring to regarding New Look?

Yeah. I even checked the planning permission in the window, says New Look Inc (Group).

Has anyone seen the People Paper? They have news that a residential/retail development is being built by Staffords in their old carpark building to commence in the next two weeks, and rumour has it they have bought the old Tesco site too. They are looking to find an anchor chain for the retail complex, I hope its M&S!

00011000

Still nothing going on with the old Tesco Site?