€13m set to transform Nenagh
Plans to spend over €13 million in Nenagh on enhancing the town’s cultural quarter in the area of Banba Square and building a Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Energy at Martyr’s Road were outlined to councillors at the Nenagh Municipal Council May meeting.
Enthusiastic members said the future for the town never looked so bright because of all the investment projects planned.
Council officials revealed that a sum of €12,700,000 is to be spent on developing the Centre of Excellence over a three-year timeframe while almost €900,000 is to be invested in creating “an immersive tourist experience” in the town’s cultural quarter, which encompasses Banba Square and the adjacent Courthouse, former Gaol and Castle.
A Steering Group and Implementation Group to drive the project to enhance the cultural quarter has been established and a Design Team was appointed last month with site visits already conducted by its members.
The next stage is to complete a video for social media purposes to launch the project and a further meeting is planned by the council with the Design Team and Steering Group.
Funded under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the ambitious project will see the opening of a new tourist office in Banba Square, new paving in the square and a host of other works to enhance the attractions of the cultural quarter for locals and visitors alike.
The council said the plan is to regenerate specific existing buildings and civic spaces of distinction and value within Nenagh, including The Gaol, The Castle and Banba Square “to stimulate tourism grown and revitalise the local economy/visitor economy within a context of tourism-led regeneration comprising arts, history, heritage and culture.”
The €866,71 project, it said, would offer an immersive tourism experience. The plan was awared €650,000 of the total sum under the regeneration fund.
Councillor Hughie McGrath complimented the council on the “great work” it was doing to enhance the cultural quarter. He said local people were very interested in the project and wanted to get involved and give their input on the project.
MARKET AREA
He said one of the ideas that had been coming from the community was to create a cobbled stone market area on the OPW owned passage leading to the castle from Pearse Street and the possible development of craft shops along that entrance way.
Another idea was to create a walkway into the castle from O’ Rahilly Street, which was the site of the original drawbridge of the castle.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Séamie Morris concurred, saying the council should consider opening a hotline to facilitate the flow of ideas coming from the local community to enhance area.
Planning Officer Nuala O’ Connell said the success of the plan would be dependent on input from the local community. It was the council’s intention to invite submissions and to allow local people to engage in the process of finalising the plan.
Referring to the proposed new tourist office planned for the Town Hall in Nenagh, Cllr Joe Hannigan asked when it was due to open.
District Administrator Rosemary Joyce said enhancement works such as the laying of high spec paving in Banba Square and putting overhead cables underground would have to be completed prior to opening the tourist office.
These works had been delayed due to the pandemic. When these works were completed the consultant appointed by the council to design the tourist office could plan for the opening of the new amenity. It was hoped the office could be opened by the end of July.
MARTYR’S ROAD PLAN
Councillors also received details of a separate plan to construct a Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Energy at Martyr’s Road in the town. The plan, said the council, will involve the “transformational urban regeneration of Nenagh Town Centre”.
Development of the Centre of Excellence would provide a pathway to a low carbon society.
The council added: “The proposal is to develop a Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Energy to be the anchor and catalyst for the redevelopment of Martyr’s Road Regeneration Quarter - a 10 hectare strategic site of brownfield lands and under-utilised properties located in the heart of Nenagh Town Centre.”
The council said the Centre of Excellence will be developed to best international practice and will “host a range of public agencies working collaboratively to deliver innovative solutions from training and development, to new cutting edge research on technologies, to incubating low-carbon social enterprises.
“The centre has been designed to be Ireland’s first carbon neutral and energy postive building”.