Council recognise tourism potential of Town Wall
THE Heritage and Conservation Officers in Louth will carry out a detailed examination of the historic Old Town Wall in Drogheda it has been confirmed.
The officers will compile a costed schedule of necessary and essential conservation works in relation to the town wall circuit. Louth County Council (LCC) said it recognises the tourism potential of Drogheda’s walled town heritage and said it would like to capitalise on this resource and use it to drive tourism in Drogheda.
The issue was highlighted by Councillor Frank Godfrey who carried out a short protest at the Old Town Call at the carpark near the Garda Station last Saturday to highlight the need for conservation work and also raised the issue in a notice of motion at the July meeting of Drogheda Municipal District. Cllr Godfrey asked the council to restore and rebuild Drogheda’s medieval town walls. ‘ This is a matter of urgency and requires immediate attention and major funding. The walls have been subjected to shameful neglect over many years, have deteriorated, are covered in overgrowth and are in an appalling and dangerous state.’
However, the council said that while conservation work is being carried out, restoring and rebuilding the town wall would be ‘ruinously expensive’ and would not receive ministerial consent. In response to the motion, the council said the tourism potential of Drogheda’s walled town heritage is undeniable but conservation works are expensive.
The council said it has carried out conservation works at the Buttergate, Featherbed Lane, Mount Saint Oliver and has previously removed vegetation from the town walls in the grounds of St Mary’s Church of Ireland and Murdock’s Yard adjacent to the Bridge of Peace.
‘It is also proposed to carry out conservation works at Featherbed Lane and public realm/ landscaping at Laurence’s Gate in 2018. All these works depend on funding and on obtaining ministerial consent.