Library could follow Grants into old Dunnes building
AS the signage for the new Grant’s Pharmacy was erected on Rafter Street last week, it signalled the near conclusion of phase one of the bold new plans for the old Dunnes Stores building.
Owner Leonie Grant, who is also the wife of the developer behind the Rafter Street project Martin Sinnott, confirmed that they intend to open the doors of their new state of the art pharmacy by November 12.
In a further development, the Enniscorthy Guardian understands that big plans
are afoot to move Enniscorthy Library from its current location on Lymington Road, up over the new retail spaces being created in the Old Dunnes in the second phase of the project.
Discussions are ongoing with CEO of Wexford County Council Tom Enright and an application had been made for funding to move the library the short distance to Rafter Street.
AFTER a decade of inactivity and falling into a sorry state, the old Dunnes Stores on Rafter Street is in the process of being granted a new lease of life as last week the signage was erected for the first shop to go into the huge town centre retail space. Workers installed the signage for a new Grant’s Pharmacy last week ahead of the official opening which is due to take place around November 12.
However, the big plans don’t stop there. It was exclusively revealed to the Enniscorthy Guardian that major plans are afoot to move Enniscorthy library the short distance from Lymington Road to the space above the retail units on Rafter Street as part of phase two of the plans for the old Dunnes building.
Leonie Grant, owner of Grant’s Pharmacy and the wife of the developer behind the Rafter Street project Martin Sinnott, said that a major plan is in place to completely regenerate the heart of Enniscorthy.
‘Phase one was to buy the building and to really look at what Enniscorthy needed to become a hub again,’ she said. ‘ Then obviously we’ve decided to move our shop in there and that was part of phase one as well. Phase two will be for the library to move in up above the retail spaces there. We’ve been in discussions with Tom Enright (CEO of Wexford County Council) and he’s extremely interested in making Rafter Street the central hub of the town again. He’s confirmed he’s already applied for funding and we’re confident that with the new pharmacy offering and the library, we’d have major national names fighting over the other retail space there.’
District Manager Liz Hore
told the Enniscorthy Guardian that it was very ealy days for the project. ‘We have put in for funding under the large scale capital projects programme and we are looking to expand the library service,’ said Ms Hore. ‘We have submitted the grant application, but until we hear back from that, there’s no update on it.
‘Obviously Rafter Street was one of the locations we were looking at, but firstly it depends on whether we’re successful in getting funding, and secondly it depends on how much we’re there allocated. It’s way too early to say yet what will happen with the library.’
Ms Hore says that it’s unlikely that they will have had word on the funding until early next year at which point the options will then need to be assessed.
Meanwhile, a huge amount of work is going into the new Grant’s Pharmacy shop and Ms
Grant also confirmed that the new Rafter Street venture will operate in addition to the store in the Duffry.
‘It’s very exciting,’ she said. ‘Everything has been fitted out very nicely and a lot of work has gone into it. We’re going to be offering a new express prescription hub for people just looking to pop in and out, but we’ll also have a coffee station and couches for people looking to spend a bit of time in the shop.
‘ The shop in the Duffry is going really well for us and that gave us the confidence to take the next step and invest in Enniscorthy.’
In relation to what stores will be neighbouring the pharmacy, it’s still up in the air. But Ms Grant is confident that exciting developments will be forthcoming.
‘ There are already some big national names interested in
going in there,’ she said. ‘Once phase two is rolled out, we’re confident that they’ll be fighting each other to get in here.’