Enniscorthy

EverythingGood

Grants own it now

Uncle Pierre

EverythingGood wrote: »

Grants own it now

I'd actually forgotten that. Thanks for pointing it out.

Probably shows how little I'm actually in the town these days! Where I live is slightly closer to Gorey, and I work in Wexford (when I'm able to go there instead of working from home), so I tend to do things in one of those towns rather than Enniscorthy.

And in turn, that might be some proof of what's been said or at least suggested here a few times, that Enniscorthy simply doesn't have enough to attract people for whom it's just as easy to go to a different town....

Cantona's Collars

No social distancing in the town the other night as members of the Roma population in the town had a knife fight down outside the Rivercourt Apartments.

Marhay70

Gardaí should be in there cracking a few skulls but I suppose that would be racist.

CoBo55

Marhay70 wrote: »

Gardaí should be in there cracking a few skulls but I suppose that would be racist.

No no squeezing necks is all the rage now, cracking skulls is so 1970's.

EverythingGood

Marhay70 wrote: »

Gardaí should be in there cracking a few skulls but I suppose that would be racist.

However would you think that police brutality might be racist.

Marhay70

EverythingGood wrote: »

However would you think that police brutality might be racist.

Just a rumour. I just know that when I was a young 'un, anyone found waving a knife around in a menacing way would have ended up on the floor of a cell with a sore everything, no matter what colour of the rainbow he was or ethnic minority he came from. Universal summary justice.

paulaa

EverythingGood wrote: »

Grants own it now

I thought Dunnes had a 99 year lease on the Rafter Street premises ?

EverythingGood

paulaa wrote: »

I thought Dunnes had a 99 year lease on the Rafter Street premises ?

Don't know about that but grants do own it now

Uncle Pierre

Just speculating here, but just because they occupy the premises doesn't necessarily mean that they own it. Could it be the case that Dunnes are sub-letting it to them?

I've no knowledge about the place other than the widely-held belief that Dunnes held onto it so as to keep out anybody who might be construed as a competitor. But a pharmacy wouldn't really be a competitor, since Dunnes aren't in the pharmacy business themselves, the way that Tesco (for example) are. So maybe Dunnes are just leasing it to them?

Cantona's Collars

Uncle Pierre wrote: »

Just speculating here, but just because they occupy the premises doesn't necessarily mean that they own it. Could it be the case that Dunnes are sub-letting it to them?

I've no knowledge about the place other than the widely-held belief that Dunnes held onto it so as to keep out anybody who might be construed as a competitor. But a pharmacy wouldn't really be a competitor, since Dunnes aren't in the pharmacy business themselves, the way that Tesco (for example) are. So maybe Dunnes are just leasing it to them?

The building was bought by a developer. The plan is another retail unit at the back of it, rumours were that Eurospar were to open a store in it.
Lidl looked into moving there temporarily but it was deemed unfeasible.

Del.Monte

Cantona's Collars wrote: »

The building was bought by a developer. The plan is another retail unit at the back of it, rumours were that Eurospar were to open a store in it.
Lidl looked into moving there temporarily but it was deemed unfeasible.

And they plan to stuff the library into it as the Gardai need the library building - apparently.

paulaa

EverythingGood wrote: »

Don't know about that but grants do own it now

The reason that the building was unoccupied for so long was supposed to be the 99 year lease. I doubt very much that Dunnes have given up that . I reckon it has been leased.
However it's good to see it being used again

Del.Monte

Eric Barron's Menswear, Main Street - RETIREMENT SALE - now on.

Nokia6230i

Cantona's Collars wrote: »

The building was bought by a developer. The plan is another retail unit at the back of it, rumours were that Eurospar were to open a store in it.
Lidl looked into moving there temporarily but it was deemed unfeasible.

Speaking of LIDL I presume their redevelopment is on hold?

Cantona's Collars

paulaa wrote: »

The reason that the building was unoccupied for so long was supposed to be the 99 year lease. I doubt very much that Dunnes have given up that . I reckon it has been leased.
However it's good to see it being used again

That's gone, they were forced to give it up. Same happened in other towns as Dunnes were leaving vacant properties on main streets. The councils stepped in and basically voided the leases.

Cantona's Collars

The builders aren't hanging around at Lidl. The carpark is being torn up this morning.

Del.Monte

Burke O'Leary's - ceased trading i.e. not reopening.

kneemos

Bourke O'Leary's and Barron's are like Willy Wonkas Chocolate Factory.
Nobody ever goes in or comes out.

paulaa

It's sad to see small businesses closing in town, as if there wasn't enough empty shops already

PhilOssophy

One reason I hate shopping in Enniscorthy is I hate not buying something when I go in to these shops.
I hate that I might be one of the few customers that day. Warped logic maybe but sadly it is how I feel.
The town is so lacking life, it is very tough to see these shops closing.
I am amazed that Bourke O'Leary's lasted so long though.

Uncle Pierre

Bourke O'Leary's is certainly very old school. Honestly can't remember the last time I was in it. Definitely decades ago.

Know what you mean about Eric Barron's too. I remember it's the place we used to go after we grew up a bit (i.e. too old for children's clothes) and needed 'good' clothes for something rather than the likes of Dunnes Stores stuff. But unless it's changed a lot since then, it's certainly not somewhere I'd consider going now. Too small and poky and as you say, you'd be too conscious of how they're probably not getting much footfall and so feel under a sort of personal pressure to buy something, just so as to not disappoint them.

I'll say again though that I don't think that the Council can be completely blamed for the demise of all such places. For whatever reason, there simply doesn't seem to be any great level of imagination or verve on the part of the traders themselves.

For instance, staying with the theme of clothes, and thinking of Gorey - there's a boutique down Esmonde Street (can't think of the name of it right now) which has carved out a niche for itself as THE place for mother of the bride outfits and the like, and I know women travel from all over to get there. There has to be a spin-off for some other businesses as a result (coffee shops, other clothes or shoe shops, etc.)

Similarly, Jack Dunnes on Main Street is fairly well renowned for suit hire for grooms and best men, etc., and again it attracts customers from a good distance away.

Both saw a market and both did a good job of capturing it. Honestly can't think of any similar examples in Enniscorthy. But would like if somebody here could prove me wrong!

PhilOssophy

Uncle Pierre wrote: »

Bourke O'Leary's is certainly very old school. Honestly can't remember the last time I was in it. Definitely decades ago.

Know what you mean about Eric Barron's too. I remember it's the place we used to go after we grew up a bit (i.e. too old for children's clothes) and needed 'good' clothes for something rather than the likes of Dunnes Stores stuff. But unless it's changed a lot since then, it's certainly not somewhere I'd consider going now. Too small and poky and as you say, you'd be too conscious of how they're probably not getting much footfall and so feel under a sort of personal pressure to buy something, just so as to not disappoint them.

I'll say again though that I don't think that the Council can be completely blamed for the demise of all such places. For whatever reason, there simply doesn't seem to be any great level of imagination or verve on the part of the traders themselves.

For instance, staying with the theme of clothes, and thinking of Gorey - there's a boutique down Esmonde Street (can't think of the name of it right now) which has carved out a niche for itself as THE place for mother of the bride outfits and the like, and I know women travel from all over to get there. There has to be a spin-off for some other businesses as a result (coffee shops, other clothes or shoe shops, etc.)

Similarly, Jack Dunnes on Main Street is fairly well renowned for suit hire for grooms and best men, etc., and again it attracts customers from a good distance away.

Both saw a market and both did a good job of capturing it. Honestly can't think of any similar examples in Enniscorthy. But would like if somebody here could prove me wrong!

The last shop to do a decent job of capturing a market in Enniscorthy was probably Modern Fashions. I would also say that while I know nothing about him, I would imagine Murt Walsh does far better in Gorey than Enniscorthy, although he probably does well out of suit hire, etc.

It is back to the previous point though, getting people in to the town is the first battle to be won. I don't believe more pedestrianisation will help that but I would gladly be proven wrong if it resulted in a better town for us all.

paulaa

I was talking to someone yesterday whose company had, a few years ago, been thinking of starting a business in Enniscorthy. He told me that when they had done their homework and taken everything into consideration, they decided it was a bad bet. Instead they went to one of the surrounding towns where the business is flourishing and employing nearly 200 people in their company at three locations

A couple of the reasons they didn't chose Enniscorthy .

1. Extortionate rents and rates on commercial properties

2. Lack of forward planning and foresight for the town's benefit by both existing business, the Chamber of Commerce, and the
council.

3. The disproportionate dependence on the history of the town to bring in tourists and business, which has been declining over
the last decade or more.

4. (This one surprised me) The "sue-happy" culture which led to at least one factory closing down because they couldn't sustain
the expense. Seemingly the town has a reputation for this and is one reason it has been so difficult to attract industry.

5. The pedestrianised layout of the town

It was interesting to get a view from outside and it raised a couple of points I had not considered before.

Cantona's Collars

Hard to argue with any of that. The shop that's closing down and having a retirement sale is case in point. The owner was part of the cartel who met every lunchtime and made sure to protect their own interests in the town, keeping out new businesses and eventually by such actions have nearly ruined the place. This cartel are all retired now with their money made so they don't care about any poor sap trying to get s startup going in the place.

Marhay70

Let's face it, Enniscorthy is not the most attractive of locations for the casual shopper or visitor. The fact that the N11 runs around the perimiter of the town and there is no obvious commercial centre visible to the through traveller means that you either have to know where you are going or you are intent on stopping off, then, if you do venture off the main road and stumble upon the commercial centre you can't find parking.
It was different thirty and more years ago when you could drive up any street and park and the town was full of diverse traders not pound shops and charity shops. My wife's late mother, when she visited us from Dublin, loved nothing more than a shopping trip to Enniscorthy, I doubt she'd be bothered going today.

kneemos

Latest plan is to pedestrianise the town centre at night apparently.

https://wexfordtoday.com/2020/06/10/enniscorthy-pedestrian-plan-right-location/

Del.Monte

Where will the boy racers go if their playground is denied them?

Uncle Pierre

Anybody know if the Peter Mernagh whose name appears on that piece (and several other pieces on the Wexford Today website/FB page) is the Peter Mernagh who ran in last year's local elections?

jpb1974

Uncle Pierre wrote: »

Anybody know if the Peter Mernagh whose name appears on that piece (and several other pieces on the Wexford Today website/FB page) is the Peter Mernagh who ran in last year's local elections?

Yep, same bloke.