Plan for Farmers’ Market is covered

PLANS for a revamp of Ennis’ market area with a covered market are to begin at Garraunakilla, the site of the current Farmer’s Market. Talks are also to get underway with local businesses in Barrack Street about the possibility of expanding the covered market into that area. The coverings for the market area are expected to cost €25,000 each, Ennis Town Council has confirmed.

A specially convened meeting was held this week by Ennis Town Council to discuss the proposed improvement plans for the market. At the meeting, councillors agreed to go ahead with Part VIII planning for the redevelopment of Garraunakilla and Barrack Street following discussions with traders. The architect behind Limerick’s Milk Market had recommended that the farmers’ market be moved to a covered market in Lysaght’s Lane, however there was opposition to this from the majority of councillors.

Members of the council recently visited a number of covered markets including Limerick’s Milk Market and Templebar, Dublin, to see how the plan could work. Councillor Tommy Brennan told the meeting that the covering at the Milk Market would be inappropriate for Ennis, describing it as looking like “there is a circus in town”. He proposed that Garraunakilla be the starting point for any redevelopment of the market and he suggested that the council also look at Barrack Street.

He was supported by Councillor Mary Howard, who stated, “The Farmers’ Market has been a great success, we need to mind them and nurture them. I feel we need to take care of the Farmers’ Market and build on it.”

Councillor Peter Considine told the meeting, “If we are to do this, we have to do it properly.” He went on, “We all agree that there needs to be an overhaul of the entire market; it is a matter of where we start. I suspect the majority of people from the town and country would prefer the old traditional market to be serviced first.” Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Mary Coote Ryan also added her support to covering the current Farmer’s Market and including Barrack Street. “Garraunakilla has already been established as the Farmers’ Market and Ennis is a market town,” she stated.

However, Councillor Johnny Flynn proposed that the architect’s recommendation for Lysaght’s Lane go ahead first. Welcoming that moves are being made to cover the market following a notice of motion to examine the feasibility in 2011, Councillor Flynn stated that a number of traders and business people had expressed support for the plan at a briefing meeting.

Councillor Brian Meaney told the meeting that the traders were opposed to moving to the car park saying they would have to be “dragged kicking and screaming”.
“The traders feel they would be put off the beaten track and at a disadvantage,” said Councillor Meaney. He pointed out that while the architect recommended Lysaght’s Lane, he also put forward a number of suggestions for what could be done to accommodate the covered market in Garraunakilla.

The councillor also said that he has spoken with the council’s conservation officer Dick Cronin about the Lysaght Lane plans. He stated, that Mr Cronin is “very much against” the proposal to develop an architectural heritage area. “You could only go ahead with this if there was another access through Moran’s car park  through the building and that’s very unlikely that will happen,” he stated.

Councillor Paul O’Shea suggested that corporate sponsorship could be sought for the coverings and that additional defibrillators be provided. Councillor Michael Guilfoyle called on the council to also look at covering parts of Parnell Street in a bid to improve trade. He stated that the street is “partially dying”. “Ennis is a market town but we need to look at the bigger picture and there are other areas of the town that need to be improved,” he stated. Councillor Brennan supported the call, saying that Parnell Street had been “left aside” by the council. He urged that more be done to brighten up the area.

Town clerk Leonard Cleary explained that the preferred design for the coverings would remain permanently open, with an option to zip them together. He added that they are designed to withstand Irish weather but they can be removed it if is essential. It was agreed that Lysaght’s Lane, while not part of the first phase of development, would be considered in the future. This development would include a re-configuration of the mall area and would have an impact on traffic, with pedestrianisation on market days.

The council has a deadline of June 2014 for the works. Richard Rice of Healy Partners Architects in Limerick were commissioned by Ennis Town Council to look at the feasibility of developing a covered market in the county capital.