Free parking for two hours in Kilrush

IN an effort to boost town-centre business in Kilrush during the build-up to Christmas, shoppers will be allowed to park free for two hours for the next three Saturdays and on Monday, December 20 and Christmas Eve.
While visitors to Kilrush can park for free in Place de Plouzane, they have to pay to park in all of the town’s main shopping streets. Parking, however, is free of charge at both the Tesco and Aldi supermarkets on the Ennis Road, which is well outside Kilrush town centre.
“Kilrush Town Council together with Kilrush Chamber of Commerce have identified that an even greater effort needs to be made this year to support local businesses in the town and encourage a greater number of people to shop local,” the town council said in a statement this week.
“With this in mind, as a gesture of goodwill to the business people and to their customers, the members of Kilrush Town Council recently adopted a resolution to introduce free parking in Kilrush town in all designated parking areas on the dates outlined,” the statement added.
The suspension of parking charges is subject to a maximum limit of two hours per vehicle, while current bylaws remain in effect and will be regulated the council noted.
Last year, the then Kilrush Chamber president, Mark Reidy, underlined the importance of amending the parking bylaws in Kilrush.
“Kilrush Chamber and Kilrush Town Council are trying to work in partnership with each other. The chamber is cognisant of the fact that there is free parking available in developments on the Ennis Road. Kilrush Town Council are going to work on new parking bylaws in the new year and the chamber has been invited to participate and be part of the process,” Mr Reidy said in 2009.
Parking concerns are regularly raised at meetings of Kilrush Town Council. At the May 2009 meeting, Councillor Marian McMahon Jones asked if town-centre parking could be extended.
Councillor McMahon Jones proposed that the council seek a site in the town centre where a regular or multi-storey car park could be built.
“Kilrush Town Council currently provide free car-parking facilities at Place de Plouzane in the town centre in accordance with the Kilrush Town Council (Parking Places) Byelaws 2006,” Kilrush town clerk John Corry pointed out. 
“This car park contains 130 car-park spaces. The traffic warden has carried out regular checks on the availability of car-park spaces in this car park this year and at all times inspected. There have been vacant car spaces identified, both standard car spaces and disabled spaces,” he added.
“It is therefore felt at this time that there is no additional requirement for town-centre car-parking spaces,” the town clerk added. Free two-hour parking will be available in Kilrush on December 4, 11, 18, 20 and 24.