Clonmel Thread

KanyeSouthEast

mine was also very much of a sarcastic vibe. Clonmels issues are many currently but the housing of a few International Protection Families is way down the list.

I’ve lived in the town for 50 years and never seen it at such a low ebb.

cml387

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123183396#Comment_123183396

Agreed. I've been here nearly forty years. When I moved from Athlone, Clonmel was a big town with a lively nightlife and a bustling town centre, Athlone and Mullingar (my home town) were way behind.

Just compare Mullingar and especially Athlone nowadays with Clonmel. Those towns have advanced in leaps and bounds, attractive town centres with hundreds of shops and restaurants.

Clonmel has actually gone backwards. Don't tell me it's for want of money, surrounded by some of the richest land and stud farms in the world. Plenty of industry.

It's down to disastrous town planning, (the Corporation are as much to blame as the current administration) and an unwillingness to address the hoarding of sites in the centre and deal with the many derelict buildings.

KanyeSouthEast

I also think clonmels civic leadership has regressed in the last 20 years. The agenda in the town is being pushed by a very narrow minded focus of doom despair and anti everything. Have a look on line at the likes of Clonmel Stories to see what the narrative is. All of the issues above are valid as mentioned by cml387 and I’d add very poor national representation to that list also. No mark TDs have delivered nothing but embarrassment for the town. It’s shocking how much we’ve regressed. We still have so much to offer the scenery the river the aspect the wide streets but there’s an air of desperation and depression seeping in to the town and it’s terrible to see.

80sDiesel

The solution to Clonmel is the pedestrian of most of the entire town and the marketing of that. It would be a bold move but could be the catalyst for other similar towns to follow suit.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123186087#Comment_123186087

Interesting. Why would you think that making the most of the town pedestrian would be the solution. Do you think that the amount of cars coming through the town is the number one reason why why the town has taking a downward turn over the past 20+ years.

Edit to add. If you were to do that , what streets in particular would you do.

KanyeSouthEast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123186372#Comment_123186372

I think the pedestrianisation of O Connell Street from the junction with Mary Street and Gladstone Strret to its junction with Market street might work. I’m pretty sure the traders are dead against this though.

cml387

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123187202#Comment_123187202

The traders are dead against anything that would require shoppers to walk more than 1 minute from their car. Look at the furore over the closing of the tiny car park beside the Friary. Economic ruin was forecast.

There were some seriously proposing to convert the Arms site into a multistory car park (!). If there's one thing the town is not short of it's parking spaces.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123187202#Comment_123187202

Then of course the traffic would need to be rerouted elsewhere. There's no doubt that traffic could keep travelling up the key towards Irishtown, however I'd imagine traffic heading from Irishtown though O Connell at would be harder to reroute. The Mary st /Queen st junction can be a nightmare at time's

Ceepo

I'm sure that closing that car park would have some impact on trade, and we know that it was more than just the traders that were giving out about closing that car park. You see it all the time, people would park in your eye if they thought it would save them a few steps. Just look at the amount of people that will park in disabled space or parent and child spaces and loading bays, or double park, because "they're only running in for a minute"

I wouldn't underestimate the benefits of having a car park nearby and the impact it could have in business.

KanyeSouthEast

there are a number of car parks nearby though. Mary Street, Suir Island and Wolfe Tone Street to name 3. I’m not convinced at all by the argument that there’s no place to park in the town and this is killing the town centre.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123187705#Comment_123187705

Id agree with you there. I wouldn't think the lack of car park space is the reason. I just wouldn't be sure that turning the main streets through the town into pedestrian streets would be the answer to fixing the towns declining issues.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123186372#Comment_123186372

The traffic is what puts me off going into the town centre. If there was ample parking within walking distance and the freedom to walk around, it would encourage me to go into town.

Ennis have done a great job with their O’Connell street for example

KanyeSouthEast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123187752#Comment_123187752

there is ample parking though? Mary street, suir island, the old superquinn car park, Gordon place.

julyjane

I never have a problem getting parking in town either on the Quay or the old superquinn car park or around the swimming pool but that's mainly because the place is not as busy as it used to be. I remember on Saturdays when superquinn was open it took forever to get a space.

cml387

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123187752#Comment_123187752

Suir Island, old Superquinn?? Plenty of space.

Woodcutting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123183698#Comment_123183698

Not defending the council but what could they do even if the hoarded buildings were free . If there's no business who will go in to them?. I heard a lot of shops now don't open until 10am and close at 5

callaway92

Well then if there’s plenty of space close off the town to traffic. No need for cars to be going thru town. It’s after getting dog ugly there

Woodcutting

Deleted

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123188405#Comment_123188405

This is true. I know of a few shops that close early in Saturday too, as it wasn't paying them to stay open until 6pm, like they use too years ago. The council are always going to get some flack, as people will look to blame someone. The reality is the council can only do so much, however a lot of people feel that they're not even doing that. Increasing the rates certainly wasn't a good move. I know the chamber of commerce were trying to get 20 mins free parking a few years ago, but the council wouldn't agree to it.

What the council should be doing is trying to market the town better. The blueway is a fantastic amenity and when you look how the Greenway has boosted Dungarvan, there's no reason while it couldn't try replicate that. Of course the local " up standing members of society" would have to be moved on, and that's another story. The are miles of mountain trails to walk and cycle around Careys castle. This could be developed, similar to Kinnity or Ballyhoura. The issue here is that, it's in County Waterfront. But sure with some joint up thinking, that could easily be overcome. These are only 2 small things off the top of my head, that would help to bring people into the area.

Woodcutting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123189449#Comment_123189449

There's 30 mins free in Mary st car park

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123189689#Comment_123189689

I think they were talking about on street parking

freshpopcorn

New Look is pulling out of Ireland.

On another note I recently discovered that 30 minutes free parking. It's very handy if you want to pop in and get a few bits.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123191185#Comment_123191185

Well that's not good news for the town.

Apparently they closed earlier today. None of the staff had any idea. They were just ask to get everyone out, even some people that were queuing for the checkout. Tills were close remotely. Very poor from senior management. You'd have to feel sorry for the staff.

julyjane

That's an awful way to do it, telling them yesterday evening not to open up today would have been better

cml387

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123191392#Comment_123191392

Can't blame the authorities for this one.

I'll blame the internet instead. Shut it down, I say.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123191546#Comment_123191546

No doubt someone will be along soon to blame the council, government, illegal immigrants etc etc.

I actually seen the illegal immigrants mentioned on a FB news page 😞

Woodcutting

Is Boston Scientific on the Cashel road a good place to work ? Do they pay well ?They seem to be looking for staff a lot

Woodcutting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123191185#Comment_123191185

As someone said the 30 mins free should be extended to the street .

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123191822#Comment_123191822

I know a few people working there. Id say in average the most of them are very happy there. As always it will depend on the people you're working with and also the area. Wouldn't be somewhere I'd fancy myself though, or Abbott for that matter.

jkmanc1974

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123191392#Comment_123191392

poor form to be fair - another blow to the town and O’Connell St in particular, yet another building that will go to waste(hope am wrong)

Never ever understood the obsession with parking in Clonmel - also the amount of unfortunates now under the Main Guard every day along with outside Dealz, house on the quays etc hardly gives anyone new to Clonmel a good impression!!