by Ronan Casey
Westmeath is looking to Westport for inspiration as it seeks to make Mullingar a cultural destination.
The Council have revealed ambitious and expensive plans to transform the civic space in and around the County Buildings on Mullingar’s Mount Street to accommodate pedestrians and culture vultures, with large public squares and a pedestrianied side-street some of the attractions.
Council Director of Services, David Hogan, feels the town is very much designed around the car, and not the pedestrian or cyclist. Looking to Westport for inspiration, he told Councillors at a meeting on Monday of this week that pedestrians have “great ownership” of the tourist town which, he was told by Mayo County Council, has evolved through good design.
He wants to replicate some of that work in Mullingar in a bid to create an identity for the town and make it “the Westport of the Midlands” he wants Councillors to green light a transformation of areas surrounding the County Buildings, which opened in 2009, having cost approx €40 million to build.
Plans were drawn up for the Council by Brady, Shipman and Martin, a well-known Planning and Landscape company with offices in Dublin, Manchester, Cork and Limerick. Presenting them to Councillors, Mr Hogan admitted “there will be a considerable cost” and money could come from paid parking revenue and possible funding applications.
He contended that the cost would be worth it as there “is a need to improve key areas around Mullingar… to make it a place where people will want to come to.”
“We want to create a place where people can socialise and move around. A good meeting place akin to outside the Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin,” he said at the Mullingar Municipal District meeting, held in Castlepollard on Monday. “Mullingar has huge potential which is not yet realised. The County Buildings should be owned by the people of Mullingar.”
The first of three phases around the County Buildings would include a large plaza in front of the Mullingar Arts Centre. As part of the works, the roundabout would be eliminated, the road would be reduced in width and resurfaced with raised cobblelock.
The raised surface would make cars slow down on their approach to and from the town. Seating and sculptures would pepper the newly configured square.
The square would lead to a revamped county buildings yard, with seats, trees and raised paving opening into a new public square currently occupied by a small car park. Concerts and street theatre and other cultural events could take place here.
The “univiting” Mount Street Gardens side street, bordered by two properties, a section of old town wall saved by Mullingar Town Councillors and a private car park would be pedestrianised, which would allow for market stalls selling books, art and other goods.
CAUTIOUS WELCOME
Mick Dollard (Lab) said whilst the concept was “great” and reminded him of Athlone’s West Bank, he was not sure that spending money “on a yard” in Civic Offices built only a few years ago sends out a good message to a public under pressure to pay the Local Property Tax to support the work of the Council.
He took umbrage at the artist’s illustration featuring the new ‘swan’ sculpture from the N4 relocated to the town centre. “Are you serious about that unsightly, rusted thing? It should be put in a bog, not in the town centre,” he commented.
Cllr Dollard said Mullingar’s cultural side should instead be celebrated with investment in a home for the visual arts as well as a museum.
Una D’Arcy (SF) said businesses do tend to locate in towns with attractive cultural and civic areas and whilst in favour of such spaces, she felt the plans were premature without the cost being known.
Andrew Duncan (FG) said the money should be spent elsewhere in the town. “People coming off the train haven’t a clue where they are going,” he said, adding more needs to be done to promote the whole town.
Mayor Ken Glynn (FF) urged the Council to liaise with the Mullingar Arts Centre on any proposals as “they have a role to play” with any cultural developments in the town.
The plans will be costed and brought before members at a later date.
