Local MI park and ride would help the cause of Dunleer train station
The provision of a park and ride facility in the mid Louth area is vital in the bid to get Dunleer train station reopened.
That’s the view of Cllr Dolores Minogue who told last week’s area council meeting that Drogheda and Dundalk were well served with a transport infrastructure.
‘ The bus only stops in two places here’, she stated. ‘ We don’t have a train station or a bus infrastructure.’
She said that with Fergus O’Dowd TD, she had written to the minister seeking funding for a feasibility study to reopen the station.
The issue of the parking scheme was raised by Cllr Jim Tenanty, who has been asking for details of the proposed project for some months.
€300,000 had been secured for the pilot scheme which is envisaged will be just off the M1 and will cater for vehicles presently parking on roads off the motorway.
He asked where is it going to be placed and was told that it’s hoped to have more detail at the next meeting. ‘ The junction at Drumgoolestown is one area suggested’, he remarked.
Cllr Liam Reilly agreed that the park and ride would be good for mid Louth but asked would bylaws then come into force preventing parking at other locations, given there was a park and ride established.
Sheridan wants works done
Local Fianna Fáil election candidate John Sheridan said he hopes that Ardee Castle will be restored soon but that the lack of an update or progress is very frustrating locally.
“The ongoing hopes of the restoration of the Castle have dragged on for too long. It was July 2018 when Fine Gael Minister Josepha Madigan visited Ardee Castle and we all assumed we’d have seen significant progress by the end of the year. But now we’re into a New Year and there’s still no update as to the restoration.
“If Francis Brennan came to Ardee Castle, I could see him standing in the middle of Castle Street screaming: ‘Potential Potential Potential’!
“Ardee Castle, a 15th century castle, is one of the largest cas- tles of its kind in either Ireland or Britain and the opportunities for tourism is clear to see. This would make Ardee a magnet for visitors but also bring huge spins offs to Ardee town and the local economy. Think also of the opportunities for civil ceremonies, weddings and other local family occasions like baby naming ceremonies that could take place here. I hope that we can see progress as soon and a restoration project under way we can all be proud of.”
He added, ‘If and when the Ardee Western Bypass gets the go ahead, we’ll have a whole new chapter in the history of Ardee town and hopefully we will also have our restored castle as the jewel in the crown of the new Ardee.”
€88,000 for the Riverside
THE Riverside walk in Ardee is to benefit to the tune of €88,000 thanks to the Out- door Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) , as announced last week.
Cllr Dolores Minogue said the money was welcome to further enhance the area.
Martin O’Brien wins
WELL done to Ardee Photography club and member Mark O Brien who won first place in the Ardee Credit Union Photography competition. Deborah Boylan and Albert Mularkey were also runners up.
Ardee GC poker
Ardee GC host a poker fundraising night on Friday 18th January. First prize is a ticket for the Irish Open. Tickets available in the bar, office.
IFM shop
IRISH Farm Machinery (IFM) have opened the doors on their new Retail shop.
It’s all go at IFM at the moment and the second phase of their new build will commence in February.