THE reopening of Ennistymon’s public toilets has been sought, with councillors arguing the facilities are essential for a town that is “extremely busy” year-round.
The issue was raised by Cllr Shane Talty (FF) at the July meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, where he called for immediate measures to reopen the public toilets, arguing that the recent investment in the facilities “cannot just be abandoned”.
Cllr Talty said the current situation was “not good enough”, pointing to Ennistymon’s “success story” in terms of the number of businesses that remain open in the town.
The motion was seconded by Cllr Bill Slattery (FG), who said the facilities had been sought by the community for between 15 and 20 years before finally opening.
He noted that the toilets were well used, particularly by people walking near the Falls Hotel, and described their closure as “a huge loss to the town”.
Director of Service Carmel Kirby said she would “equally support” efforts to reopen the toilets but stressed that the council first needed to find a way to overcome the anti-social behaviour that had led to their closure.
She suggested measures to manage access to the facilities could be explored, including the possibility of making a key available through the local library for people to request use of the toilets.
Cathaoirleach for the district, Cllr Michael Shannon (FF), also backed the proposal, saying the availability of public toilets was especially important given the influx of tourists to Clare.
“We want to present the best foot we can and these are the minimum requirements we need to have for our tourists coming into the west of Ireland,” he said.
Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) also formally supported the motion.
In a written response, Acting Senior Engineer Paddy Tiernan said councillors would be aware that the public toilets were reopened in 2024 following a significant investment by Clare County Council, including refurbishment works and the installation of an external lift to improve accessibility.
However, he said the facilities, including the lift infrastructure, were subjected to repeated vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the months after reopening, ultimately forcing their closure.
Mr Tiernan said the Municipal District was “not opposed in principle” to reopening the toilets, but any decision would have to be accompanied by measures to prevent further vandalism and ensure the long-term sustainability of the facility.
He said reopening the toilets would require a further significant investment to repair the damage, alongside appropriate maintenance and management arrangements.
While no funding has currently been identified, the Municipal District will examine the extent of the repairs required and the associated costs to help determine whether the facilities can be reopened and what funding options may be available.
–Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
