Mullingar the forgotton town

jjbrien

I am originally from Mullingar and I have to work in Dublin due to the lack of good jobs in Mullingar. Other major towns in the region like Athlone and Tullamore are getting in big companys and big retail devolopments are going to other towns and Mullingar is getting none of this. I believe this tide has to turn. Look at the fairgreen shopping centre in Mullingar only 2 of the units have been filled by comapnies who were already in Mullingar.

whisht

Mullingar is heading in reverse!
Walk down from McDonalds!!
Dunnes Stores on main street, Kilroys, and Texas all within about 100 yards of each other and all closed down.
For a town that has had such a HUGE population explosion over 10 years or so, there is something very very wrong here. Dunno the real details, but I am here a few years and have been told that the local chamber of commerce block all new companies left, right and centre from opening in the town

If this is the case, its a disgrace...... Saw the VERY same happen to Athy in Kildare. All the local business people stopped shopping centres, large supermarkets etc for years and Carlow, Newbridge etc welcomed them with open arms and subsequently turned into the "boom towns". The small minded attitude actually comes back to bite them in the end as nobody will shop in a town where they dont have the choice. They travel to places such as Tullamore and Athlone and spend all their money there and we see the results of that!

Saruman

There was a discussion about this in the midlands forum (before westmeath had its own subforum). Apparently there was talk of a new shopping centre.

Occidental

Had heard that Marks are moving in beside Penneys as a temporary measure until the new shopping centre is sorted out.

whisht

Heard that alright and thought somebody got terribly mixed up!
Marks interested in Mullingar!! Lets hope its true. It might be the start of better things

andyeire

According to the Westmeath Examiner the Central shopping center got it's planning permission last week .Still got to be a few years till its done but at least its a start.I live in Kinnegad and tend to go to Tullamore or Liffey Valley for shopping .

offaly1

tullamore for shopping are you crazy! i live in tullamore, and tend to go to athlone or mullingar for shopping,and the odd time newbridge!

andyeire

offaly1 wrote:

tullamore for shopping are you crazy! i live in tullamore, and tend to go to athlone or mullingar for shopping,and the odd time newbridge!

Yes Tullamore if i want electrical stuff i would rather go to DID than Harvey's, i have never had much luck wih staff in Harvey's.I tried to buy a dryer that they did not normally stock and they just never return calls.

There is also Argos which is handier than Liffey Valley with the N6 its a bit longer but at least there is no traffic and no toll.

Even if i wanted to bring the kids out for i would rather go to Jumping Jacks than the place in mullingar ,can't remember the name of it , the parking in mullingar is crap if i wanted to bring kids to McDonalds or the like I have more choice and less problems parking in Tullamore than Mullingar.

offaly1

God when ya put it like that we do have a little bit more choice over in Tullamore. I enjoy going over to Mullingar for Penneys and boots, as we dont have them in tullamore.

I wouldn't know too much about the parking situation over in mullingar, as i would usually park in harbour place and walk to wherever after that out of handiness sake.

the parking situation in Tullamore is a rip off with the paid parking crap.....

jjbrien

I agree with whisht. Mullingar is heading backwards. Dunnes and Texas gone although Texas is going out of business everywhere. The council blocking new developments left right and center. The development in blackhall got the goahead beacsue its in the center of the town so the greedy little chamber of commerce could not claim that the money was going out of the town center.

The mall on Oliver Plunket St has little or no businesses left in it! I t was once a good little mall with nice little small businesses in ther and a decent coffey shop. All you have to do is look at Athlone to see what is wrong with Mullingar. Lack of investment in jobs in Mullingar. Athlone as a triving industrial and corporate parks. I think its also down to both Athlone and Tullamore having goverment ministers over the years (Brian Cowen and Mary O'Rouke). Mullingar done well when the rainbow goverment was in beacse of Mullingar having FG anf Lab td's in goverment. Mullinar needed a decent FF td to fight for the town what it got was Donnie Cassidy who is a property devloper and was only interested in his own gains and not those of the town.

andyeire

The Central shopping center has been appealed again by various people .Included in the people who objected where the IMC cinema group the Shannon area fisheries board,a residents group and a traders group in the immediate area.They reckon it will be at least 2010 before it is open ,if ever.


Looks like Mullingar is completely fubar at the moment.

Athlone shopping center is due to open in October looks like people will just keep spending there money outside of mullingar.

pauljj66

mullingar is a very run down little town. it is in dire need for investment. but wont grt it with this current gang in charge of your towns best welfare, they are only out for themselfs an the rent money from all the houses they gave planing permission for but not the facilites.hope they are all caught some day

AckwelFoley

Mullingar isnt a bad town, but the roads in and out of it are terrible.

Athlone has the advantage by pure chance that ts directly on the route from Dublin to Galway.

And within 1 year it will be a full motorway to dublin from athlone.. that helps bring in the business

Saruman

snyper wrote:

Mullingar isnt a bad town, but the roads in and out of it are terrible.

Athlone has the advantage by pure chance that ts directly on the route from Dublin to Galway.

And within 1 year it will be a full motorway to dublin from athlone.. that helps bring in the business

But Mullingar is also on the Dublin to Sligo road. Its currently full motorway/dual carriageway from Dublin to Mullingar. The new N52 bypass is also a good road, bypassing the town.

Mullingar itself has a lot of potential. Its bigger than Athlone, has more people etc. Its also the principal town of Westmeath.

Jaysus lets support a new airport near there. Take the strain off Dublin.

Blademan

The Gar has changed a lot since i left it in 1990, back then that town had nothing only a few **** discos .. either out to bloomfield or to the lake county.. not forgetting the rugby club lol... back then in bloomfield it was so **** it was good.. and great place for the fishing in the summer, Jobs was none at the time, but now the place is so changed it's unreal, If you know the right people and drink in the right pub there is plenty of jobs doen there.. lol..I onlt miss the fishing down there.. was out in Mcevoys lake not long ago and that place in gone to ****.. what the hell happened to that place.. it used to be a graet place to go.. now ?? what happened to all the fishing clubs that was there??? The town now has a lot of potential as Saruman says above, but this town is still a hard town and full of decent people and has a hard type of principal.. Anyway i miss the place a bit i guess, Yeatzo...

Mountrath

What about poor Mountrath Co Loais, I know it was originally a farmers town, but were is the developments, they speak of this big bypass completed in 2011, however there is no gyms, shops, clubs, sporting events etc, all we have is a few shops and 6 out of 17 pubs still open the rest are closed down. i never ever seen such a town been wasted by little development, just as well that Portlaoise is only 8 Miles away

I sure wonder if we will ever get some development in this town.......

AngryHippie

Yeah Mountrath looks sad, Its always gonna be overshadowed by Portlaoise though, That just the way with these things. The "bigger" priority dominates all the small ones nearby, and sucks up all the resources... Portlaoise is a pretty nice town though.:)

pawrick

A lot of people in Mullingar commute to work in Dublin at this point wheras as Athlone tends to have people working arounf the town. It probably has more people based there 24/7 and so they spend their cash there more then people living in Mullingar. Most commuters I know who live in Mullingar shop in Dublin before going home. Proximity to Dublin may be a downside.