Athlone thread

rn

Is the estate beside b&q even going to complete the started houses? I think that contractor has form of not finishing estates and pushing the boundaries when complying to planning, but I could be mixing him up with another developer.

AckwelFoley

Yes he's finishing the ones he's started buyt not starting anymore. They're working away at it still.

I think you're confusing him for another lad that went bust and started up again under a different name. Ultimately I think I know who you're talking about

boredatwork82

There doesn't look to much activity at all down there beside B&q (arcadin) last week or so or yesterday. Was only thinking about that as I drove past yesterday.

AckwelFoley

Just passed there now. Tradesmen are on site

boredatwork82

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019019#Comment_119019019

That's good to hear. The town needs as many houses as can be built as long as they become available for people to buy

Saint_Mel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119011601#Comment_119011601

Funny on that, from what I'm told he was initially refused planning for that development, and only granted if he built more than his original proposal.

Now cant afford to finish off all he was told to build!

AckwelFoley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119022097#Comment_119022097

One couldn't blame him it's not a case of being able to afford to build, materials have skyrocketed in the last 6 months alone. Some materials such as insulation by 40%

They're not a charity, if he's going to run at a loss and it doesn't make economic sence they simply can't do it. It's not in isolation either. It's happening all over the country

Saint_Mel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119022548#Comment_119022548

Oh I know ... looking to build meself at the moment and some quotes are off the charts

AckwelFoley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119034929#Comment_119034929

Yes. It's frightening.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119034929#Comment_119034929

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119035057#Comment_119035057

Even more so when you consider just how much the non construction costs are!

TimHorton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119022097#Comment_119022097

Objectors in Athlone have caused havoc in the past - This lad delayed Athlone Town Centre by a few years and in the end it opened in 2007 just as the crash was taking hold and all the deals the Developers had done to sell the Shopping Center , Apartments and Car Park all fell through it eventually ended up in NAMA and you and 1 are on the hook for 250 million ! "Mr Michael J McGrath, who was the sole objector to Bord Pleanála last year." https://www.irishtimes.com/news/athlone-development-faces-objections-1.1155795

Francescoli

Hi All

Can anyone recommend a taxi service in the town?

Need an 8 seater with pick up from town center and drop off in Kilbeggan.

Thanks

boredatwork82

Great for the town, but where will all these people live?

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2022/0527/1301639-ericsson-to-add-250-jobs-in-athlone/

roosterman71

Somewhere else like the majority that are there now. Working from home has been a great thing for IT people

veryangryman

Very few actually go to the office any more other than jobsworth managers. The company are quite screwed now as employees can get Dublin jobs (and salaries) without actually going to Dublin. Foot soldiers rely on overtime to make up the slack. A great place to start a career, but move before ye become a lifer with little reward.

I'm actually surprised if the local service industry has not suffered more. Thursday nights in town must be ghost-like without the team nights out. They have 5% of the towns population working for the.

rn

Excellent news for the town in fairness. There's high attrition across the board in IT companies at the moment and this is putting the power into developers hands in terms of where they should work. Ie at home or in the office. But this current IT jobs boom won't last forever and that will change. Hopefully Ericsson can ride out any IT downturn when it comes.

Not sure Ericsson employs that many "locals" anymore. I'd say it's closer to 1-2% of town population at a max. But an important, high spending set of the population.

I see at least one pub in town is closing due to down turn in the spend in the hospitality industry.

dr.kenneth noisewater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119140154#Comment_119140154

Is that Murphys Law? Heard it was staffing issues

rn

And down on business Afaik.

veryangryman

Murphys was always woeful for service, especially when the boss wasn't in. It had bucked the trend in food-service bars on the east town centre

The Shack is the kingpin for pub food in east side of town though. Plenty of demand if ye do a good product and they do.

veryangryman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119140154#Comment_119140154

On locals, i mean anyone who would move to town for the job if not already there. With the remote working, very little need to, hence the knock-on lesser spending in the local area.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119141396#Comment_119141396

Flipside of that is Athlone is very attractive to those remote working elsewhere. Cheap by comparison, but plenty of facilities and amenities. Granted there's not a lot on the market, but stuff does come up.

rn

I agree, the bounce for local economy from this 250 probably isn't as high as traditionally was the case. As long as remote working continues.

boredatwork82

I think alot of the people who will be employed will end up relocating to Ireland. If you have to relocate to Ireland it'd be hard to find as ideal a town as Athlone, especially if you have the option to go into the office 2/3 days a week too or as suits you.

pawrick

I follow a few different groups online, reddit etc and Athlone comes in for a fair amount of stick when ever anyone from abroad asks about visiting it or moving here and I don't think it deserves it tbh. The town could do with promoting itself in a targeted way as a place to locate to from Dublin as it has a lot going for it, good transport links etc. rather than just a place to drive past on the way to Galway.

flazio

The trend at the moment is to stay near sea coasts. Sea swimming is the new line dancing at the minute and while I'm sure Lough Rea can be lovely for a dip in the summer, Athlone is as far away from that culture as you can get.

rn

Although a lot of people do open water swimming out at coosan point. I used to kayak out there and you'd have reasonable numbers swimming. Sensible to have a tow float of you were going to partake as it's generally out of a person depth.

veryangryman

Athlone local radio program has Boxer Moran discussing the route of the Greenway after the bridge in Athlone. So we go under the town bridge arch, onto the castle, through "the meadow" past the Shamrock Lodge and "onto Galway"

I'm miffed at how to draw a line (or even a zigzag) in that direction but its not the first time a politician/taxi driver has confused me.

https://www.mixcloud.com/AthloneCommunityRadio/streetwiseathloneepisode26/

Also, this is a decent podcast if you want to know more about Athlone and its history.

rn

That makes sense tbh, cycling along the Quay by seans there. It'll be a great asset to have separate infrastructure from normal car road access to Athlone. Biking away from motor vehicles is the future

Crystalset

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119212976#Comment_119212976

When we objected to the positioning of the bike bridge we were told by Westmeath Co.Co. that the cycle path & bridge was to bring trade & business to Athlone. However if you look at the bicycle route the only business it it will pass is the rear of Sean's Bar & later the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, not much business or trade is it?

roosterman71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289450#Comment_119289450

I know it's a long shot, but perhaps people will get off their bikes.

The council position wasn't directly related to the position of the bridge, but more towards the bridge itself being something that would entice cyclists/tourists into the town with a safe way to cross the town segregated from traffic.