*Photograph: Páraic McMahon
DISCUSSIONS are underway between the Ennis Municipal District and a private owner on exploring the use of a billboard in the heart of the town centre to advertise local businesses.
It follows a proposal from the Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) requesting the local authority “to look at the possibility of leasing out the large billboard on the left-hand side of Daniel O’Connell monument until works are complete at O’Connell Street by advertising all the businesses on the street so that it will let people know that its business as usual in their street”.
Senior engineer, Seán Lenihan said staff in the Ennis MD are presently “considering various options for promoting and supporting business and optimising the commercial offering during the ongoing public realm works. These include our recent media campaign in print and radio as well as the supports offered by our colleagues in Finance and Local Enterprise Office”.
He admitted, “In fact, the use of the advertising billboard on the gable close to the Daniel O’Connell monument on O’Connell Square is one of the options being considered alongside others including street specific messaging and graphics. It is in private ownership, but preliminary discussions have already taken place with the owner of the billboard and a decision will be made in coming weeks as to the viability or otherwise of this option”.
Effectiveness, value for money and the “level of universal benefit achieved for business activity in the town centre,” will influence the decision, Lenihan advised. “Given the number of businesses operating in the town, if the billboard was to be used, the information on it would need to be of a more general nature emphasising the towns welcome, vibrancy, and range of services,” he added.
Speaking at this month’s meeting of the Ennis MD, Cllr Daly commented, “the business people would love to see their names up there and tell the people of the town that they are open for business”. He continued, “Anything that can help business people when the works are going on is good, there is a business people that is willing to help out on the finances”.
Better use of the billboard is necessary, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) insisted. “If you look up at the billboard that is there, it is just a mess, I’d love to see us taking over maintaining it. I think promoting the rugby was the last thing there”. “Unsightly” posters currently occupy hoarding and “signs up on the gates,” she said while noting “the open for business signs are very small”. She remarked of the Ennis 2040 signage on Francis Street, “the hoarding on Francis St looks good and is impactful. We need better signage to show the town is open for business”.
Art work could be projected onto the street work, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) suggested. “We’re going to be spending millions doing the square,” he calculated.
Also voicing agreement was Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF), “anything that can be of help to our businesses has to be welcomed”.
Some reluctance was issued by Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF), “I’d like to say it is a good motion but it is a privately owned space so let’s hope they are reasonable”. Images outside Ulster Bank on the what the public realm works will result in “are great but they are too small,” the Ballybeg resident felt.
Responding to councillors’ views, Lenihan stated, “everything comes down to cost, we’re looking to see everything we can do to alleviate the costs on the businesses. We can’t do hoarding similar to Francis Street because the town centre is very different”. He explained, “the fencing not as rigid and fixed as other types of hoarding”.
Larger signs are intended to be used, he advised. “We had a mad idea that we could have an interactive green screen on the billboard but if limited to a billboard with private ownership we had to deal with owner of the building and I must acknowledge the positive dealings so far. We’re limited with what we can do, I’d love to project something up there that is live and could be changing”.
