Frustrations as Athenry Public Realm may be scaled back

FRUSTRATIONS are growing in Athenry as plans to redevelop the town centre could now be scaled back.

The Athenry Public Realm Enhancement project is centred on Market Square, Davis Street, Burke’s Lane and Cross Street. It is set to include improvements to pedestrian accessibility, lighting and the aesthetic of the town, making it more attractive and safer to visit.

At last week’s Municipal District meeting, Director of Services Liam Hanrahan confirmed that issues with underground cabling around Athenry Town needed addressing if plans were to progress.

The council have been working with ESB and Uisce Eireann, who they hope will help pay for the required work. Councillor Peter Feeney was left disappointed by the latest delays, which could lead to the project needing to be scaled back due to rising costs.

“We were awarded around €6million in funds for this project in 2024, yet two and half years later we have made little progression,” commented the Athenry councillor.

“Building inflation is a big concern, as it is just eating more into that €6million the longer we must wait to get to the construction phase of this development.

“I saw a film recently that was shot in Athenry in the 1970s. It was sad to see that the roads looked better then than they do now. That’s no fault of anyone here but it shows how badly we need to start progressing this project, fix the issues and make sure it still happens.”

Community Enterprise Hub

Councillors were also given an update on plans to redevelop the old OPW building near the Forge junction in Athenry. The development is set to transform the building into a community enterprise hub.

It will provide hot-desking and co-working spaces, meeting rooms and breakout areas, high-speed broadband connectivity and space for community events.

Director of Services Liam Hanrahan expects the tendering stage of the project to completed by October.