Councillor’s call to move Ship St, lock, stock and barrel...
A Drogheda councillor would like to see the ‘ the Coronation Street of Drogheda’ dismantled and recreated on the other side of the road.
Cllr Tommy Byrne says the stone from the existing houses in Ship Street could be used to effectively ‘move the houses’ to a site near the Viaduct which is not as prone to flooding.
“There will be thousands of homes built on the opposite side of the road, so it would be an ideal place for these beautiful old houses to be moved to,” he told other members at the November meeting of Louth County Council. “I started my football career down there on the Marsh Road and we know there are insurance issues there at the moment, so the solution would be to move them to a safer place.”
Cllr Byrne made his suggestion during a debate on the future of the street, which is home to some of the oldest houses in the town.
Mayor of Drogheda Cllr Frank Godfrey has made repeated calls for action to be taken in Ship Street and requested a full Health & Safety report on the deteriorating state of the street and its houses on the Marsh Road and issue a report to the Council.
“Half this street is occupied, and the other half isn’t and those with residents are trying to improve the streetscape, but they are constantly dealing with flooding, and very little maintenance from the council,” he pointed out. “There are 10 or 11 families here and with the footpaths and roads in such a state of disrepair, it is hard for visitors, and we really don’t want to lose these historical houses through neglect.
The two-storied cottages were erected in the early 19th century, and may have been used by the workers of the nearby St. James’s shipbuilding or docks yard or the workers of the former Cairnes Brewery.
It is the widest street in Drogheda, and there is a slope to the River Boyne at the end of the street which may have acted as a type of ‘ship-wharf ’ in the 19th century but which is now subject to heavy flooding, resulting in the cottages being constantly flooded.
“I lived there for 12 or 13 years, and there were no derelict houses when I was there,” added Cllr Pio Smith. “The problem is now that many have been bought and they have not moved in, and maybe they could be fined through the derelict building act, so they could be brought up to standard. If people invest, they must be responsible.”
Senior Engineer at LCC Mark Johnson said the street had been examined and while eight of the houses are occupied, some of the houses and the road are in ‘a deplorable state’.
“It could be included in the next cycle of funding of the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment & Management (CFRAM) programme, which might sort out the flooding issue,’ he suggested, ‘ but with a need for a pump station and barriers, there could be a huge cost, as it would be a big job.
“For the time being, the road is peppered with potholes and it needs repairs.’