An important part of our built heritage
WORKS surrounding the restoration of the Gate Lodge at Doorly Park and the construction of the new pontoon jetty and the progression of same has been welcomed by Cllr Declan Bree.
At the recent meeting of the Borough District of Sligo meeting held in the new Harbour View apartments on the Rosses Point Road, Cllr Bree said these works are both important components of a plan agreed by the Council a number of years back.
“The new pontoon jetty is already proving significant in terms of opening up access to Lough Gill for recreation and tourism purposes.
“It allows the ‘Rose of Innisfree’ tourboat to safely dock and the boat now provides a daily service from Doorly Park.
“The next phase of the project is the refurbishment of the Gate Lodge at Doorly Park.
“The Gate Lodge is an important part of Sligo’s built heritage which unfortunately was allowed to fall into a serious state of disrepair over the years - an issue which I highlighted on numerous occasions.
“In 2017 we received initial grant aid for refurbishment works on the lodge and later that year we received the formal request from the Tourist Development Association to lease the lodge so as it could be used for tourism promotion purposes relating to the pontoon pier,” Cllr Bree explained.
“The lease was approved without delay subject to conditions which included provision for use of the facility by the local community in the Doorly Park/Martin Savage Terrace area.
“In 2018 planning permission was granted for the works at the Gate Lodge which will include a ticket office, toilets and waiting room etc. And now we look forward to seeing the restoration of the building. All in all we have every reason to be pleased with the manner in which this project has progressed to date and particular thanks are due to Director of Services Bartley Gavin and his team in addition to the Tourist Development Association and Tidy Towns Committee,” Cllr Bree added.