Dereliction in Ballyshannon

Pixel Eater

So I was up for the weekend and decided to pop down to the Rory Gallagher Festival. Good buzz and good craic around the town but the one thing I really noticed was the dereliction; lots of closed shops and empty buildings. I'd say that about from the festival (and maybe the folk one in August) the town would be completely dead most of the year.


I looked up the census figures: in the early 90s the population of the town was 2838, now it's 2299. I know Ballyshannon isn't unique in this regards, but it seems more acute problem here. Whatever the multitude of reasons for this decline, ultimately people need to start living back in the towns again.

ednwireland

No work, no tourism, no hotel, multiples seem to have avoided the town , So everyone goes past it.

When I moved seriously thought about living there but now you wouldn't.

Bit of a catch 22 no life in the town without people and no one will open a business without more footfall but people won't live there without more facilities.

Yes it's looking a bit sad these days

Pixel Eater

It's a shame as it has a lot of potential, it could be a really be a lovely, vibrant small town.

Bungalow blitz has it's consequence; the population scattered over the countryside while the towns flounder. Seriously subidised, cheap rent would need to be offered to entice people back.