Councillors hail transformative plan by Mulryan for Athlone
A view of an imagined future for Athlone, as depicted by RTÉ programme Futureville recently.
Roscommon’s councillors have backed plans for Athlone to be transformed into a city by 2040.
Cllr Larry Brennan, who had invited the Ballymore Group, headed by Oran native Sean Mulryan, to make a presentation at the January meeting, said the project for Athlone was an extremely exciting and ambitious plan, which could transform the region.
“To have a world leader like Ballymore, with a proven track record of delivery as the driving force behind this plan, guarantees its success in my opinion,” he said. He said he saw no reason for the plan not to be “welcomed with open arms” by the government.
Welcoming the plan, Cllr John Keogh said that the project group had already met with the six members of the Athlone Municipal District. He said that he believed that the state would have to compulsory purchase land for the project, and he asked about whether any costings were available.
Cllr Domnick Connolly described the plan as exciting. “It is going to have a huge effect on all the Midlands,” he said. He said that the Athlone City proposal would put plans to bring water from the Shannon to Dublin “on the back boiler”.
Cllr Emer Kelly said it was an impressive vision for the Midlands, and hoped that it would also see investment into rural areas. She did ask about how the energy for the city would be created, given the controversies around wind energy locally. She also asked about resources for gardaí and health care services.
“We don’t have a hospital in Athlone,” she said. “ I know it is a 2040 vision, but is that a realistic time frame?” Mr David Killion of the Ballymore Group said there was a detailed piece of work to be done on costings and timelines. He also said that there will be a requirement for the government to make land available via CPO.
“In terms of hospitals and all the other services, they just need to happen,” for the proposal to work, he said.
Cllr Valerie Duffy also welcomed the plan, and she asked whether a light rail system might form part of the idea.
Cllr Tony Ward said Athlone was the type of a town that was waiting for Sean Mulryan.
“He’s the man, he’s a Roscommon man, and has given his support to the primrose and blue, and to community groups,” he said.
Cllr Laurence Fallon said the councillors appreciated the huge efforts being made by the project’s team.
“The government probably needs your plans as much as we need the government,” he said. “The M50 is gridlocked, there is no room for expansion or growth. Galway City is gridlocked, there is no room for expansion or growth.” He asked that pressure be put on TII to develop north south transport, from Sligo to Nenagh, and expressed concern that the project would get a lot of praise but not a lot of support. He also raised concerns about the impact the “serial objector” could have on the project, and he called for a planning authority with enhanced powers to drive it.
Cllr Micheál Frain said the project was a “game changer” for the whole region, comparing it to the success of Knock Airport.
Cllr Tom Crosby praised Mr Mulryan on his incredible success, describing the plan as a phenomenal opportunity for the county, region, and country. He also expressed concern about objectors.
“These guys put on their green hats, jump on the gravy train and make huge money, holding up projects for years and years.”
Cllrs Marty McDermott, Nigel Dineen, Michael Holland, Valerie Byrne, Sean Moylan, Paschal Fitzmaurice, Ruth Conboy, Leah Cull, and Liam Callaghan also spoke in support of the project.
Cllr Leah Cull said the presentation was the most interesting she had heard during her time on the council, and she thanked Ballymore CEO Sean Mulryan and his team.
“I am from Arigna, the top tip of Roscommon, and I know the positive ripple effect this will have on the whole county,” she said. “I think we can all agree the government do need to take charge here. This is something that we are all on the same page about.”
She highlighted the importance of having services, such as GPs etc, in place for the project.
Fine Gael councillor Ruth Conboy said it was “time for the east coast to get serious on balanced development. This isn’t optional.”
She asked that the council be kept informed about the development of TUS Athlone, given its importance to the overall plan, and if there was anything the council could do to support it.
*Published under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
