Town plan proposes Brian Boru monument

THE provision of a Brian Boru sculpture as part of a total revamp of one of the most historic parts of Killaloe has been unveiled in a new Draft Town Plan.
Land Planning and Design Consultants Cunnane Stratton Reynolds have proposed a monument should be erected at The Green in the town centre commemorating the area’s historical context with the former High King of Ireland.

Cunnane Stratton Reynolds, who were appointed by Clare County Council and Clare Local Development Company, have drawn up a draft town plan taking into account the receipt of public submissions.

The initiative is being spearheaded by Killaloe Tidy Towns Committee, which has been greatly encouraged by the positive reaction amongst businesses and locals to the wide-ranging proposals.

Committee spokeswoman Una Kierse said a number of members such as Nora Power, Mary Lynch, Bridget Tuohy and others have worked hard to promote this project.

If funding is secured to implement the main findings of the plan, which is scheduled to be approved before the summer, it is expected that efforts would be stepped up to have the  new monument erected before the official major celebrations next year commemorating 1,000 years since his death.

The plans, which were outlined by Keith Mitchell of Cunnane Stratton Reynolds at a public meeting at the Girls’ Primary School, Convent Hill, on Wednesday night, want to rationalise parking arrangements within The Green, while promoting safer pedestrian movement.

Street trees have also been proposed to visually soften the area and provide some greenery in The Green, while the Brian Boru monument could also be used a branding and promotional opportunity for the town.
Interestingly, trees were initially removed from The Green back in the 1950s.

The plan envisages that Carrigs Laneway could become an important linkage between the Green and proposed car park by clearing back weed growth and grass seed and investigating the potential for public lighting.

In addition to removing ad-hoc signage on the Convent Hill Shopping Centre, this area would benefit from tree or shrub planting to soften the visual appearance. Other options include containerised street trees at precinct level or painting railings black to improve appearance.

Investigating potential community uses for the closed  courthouse is identified as another key priority. It suggests the pedestrian waterfront walkway between  Killaloe Bridge and Tobermurragh Park could be promoted with signage from the bridge.

On the Scariff Road, it recommends a new feature or signage welcoming visitors to Killaloe, while it calls for examination of extending Tobermurragh Park. It also wants to investigate the potential for linkage of Tobermurragh Park with council-owned land on the opposite side of the road as well as removing the existing concrete walls to the park to increase visual policing, a sense of security and visual connectivity.

It wants to create a physical linkage between playpark at the upper level and public toilets at lower level.
Another proposal is to promote current operations to maintain and enhance pedestrian Alliebhaun walkway.  This could be achieved by removing redundant signage, creating viewing points with seating, tackling Japanese knotweed and investigating the potential for public lighting.

It also wants to capitalise on the potential of the strategic beer garden site, which represents the gateway to Killaloe and create a first impression for the visitor coming from the Ballina side.

In addition to considering “sensitive infill development”, the plan highlights the potential to remove unsightly signage and fencing as well enhancing the overall setting.