Green revamp a priority

A MAJOR revamp of The Green, which is seen as an underutilised open space in Killaloe, has been prioritised by locals following a comprehensive analysis of their new town plan.

Once the palace of former High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, the highest point of Killaloe, called The Green, currently bears no green.

In fact, concern about the operation of this area as an “informal car park for the town” was expressed by Cunnane Stratton Reynolds Land Planning and Design, which has published its final draft of the Killaloe Tidy Towns and Environmental Improvement Strategy.

“The space is visually dominated by the church, which is surrounded by a relatively high boundary wall, as well as other large buildings such as the garda station.

“The functionality of The Green as a public open space is currently strangled by its haphazard usage as a car park. Ideally, such a potentially strong and historic urban space should be the focus of the town and facilitate, at least to some degree, recreational and civic usage.

“The conflict between the requirement for parking spaces and the provision of high-quality, public open space is a commonly recurring theme in Irish towns and villages, in which an entrenched argument for car parking more often than not prevails,” the strategy outlined.

“If the sacrifice of even a small number of parking spaces can be agreed upon, then it can often make a disproportionately positive impact to a village.

“Often it is helpful to look towards continental Europe, where a stronger tradition of providing high-quality, public open space is prioritised – usually offering priority to pedestrian usage over vehicular in their town squares and urban open spaces,” the stategy stated. 

The need to make The Green a more usable space was placed at the top of the priority list by members of Killaloe Tidy Towns’ Committee and local community activists, including William Byrnes, Brona Moriarty, Harry McGovern, Rebecca Hussey, Brian Kenny, Maureen Heaney, Norah Power, Bridget Kelleher, Paul Butler, Mary Raphael and Úna Kierse after a recent meeting.

The group have proposed adding grass and trees to this area, consider removing church walls, improve road surface and floodlighting the church. This list has been sent to Keith Mitchell of Cunnane Stratton Reynolds,  which drew up the Killaloe Plan under the Strategic Towns Initiative and funded by Clare County Council and LEADER.

They also requested upgrading Carrig’s Lane and its link to the car park on Convent Hill, examining parking, ownership, lighting, path surface and its link to The Green.

In addition to providing more signs on approach roads to Killaloe, they want street name signs’ designs to be consistent and suitable for a heritage town. Members of the Men’s Shed group have offered their skills with signage.

Broken signage needs to be repaired particularly on the Aillbhaun, where paths and wire fence need improvement works.

A major facelift for Tobermurragh Park is also placed high on the group’s priority list. This includes general maintenance, restoration of the well and surroundings with agreement of the conservation officer and as per specification supplied by him and lowering the high wall in stages.

John Street also requires a makeover in terms of surface and public lighting.

The introduction of a new parking strategy for the town as well as considering the provision of the old Courthouse and Molua Centre for community use are also prioritised.

A submission made by Killaloe Ballina Environmental Group to improve footpaths using stone materials is also supported by the group. A longer term goal is looking at putting cabling and wiring  underground.