A market place under roof of former Dunnes
SENATOR John McGahon put forward a very creditable case last week in this newspaper for the regeneration of Bridge Street and Linenhall Street both of which were excluded from the recently completed refurbishment of Clanbrassil Street and Church Street.
He revealed that a government decision is awaited to release the funds for the work, and while he does not know if the application will be successful, he argues with conviction that there is a strong argument to be made to ensure that the north end of the town is not left behind.
However, there is another prime retail street in the centre of town that is also in need of a facelift and that is Park Street which, since the refurbishment of the town centre, is looking rather jaded and dated.
It doesn’t help either that the prime retail outlet in the street, the former Dunnes Stores, has remained vacant for years due to the policy of the company not to sell or lease town centre premises that they vacated to move to swanky new shopping centres to rival retailers.
Thankfully that policy has now changed, with the result that the Park Street site was sold and is now currently on the market for leasing.
It is to be hoped that a prominent retailer will take over the site and thereby breathe new life back into Park Street. Imagine a bustling food market, similar to the famed English Market in Cork with artisan food producers, butchers, fish mongers and a coffee shop/restaurant all under the one roof.
At one time, prior to the opening of the shopping centres on the fringes of the town, Park Street was a thriving commercial heartland, full of small family businesses that were the backbone of the town.
The traders who have survived since that time, and others who have opened new businesses, deserve to be complemented on their determination to keep going, especially in the last year when they have had to ensure successive lockdowns.
They would not be advocating that Bridge Street should be denied badly needed investment, but they have a very valid case to make that their street has been neglected in recent decades and needs a facelift.