A NEW public car park with 48 additional spaces has opened in Ennistymon.
On Wednesday, the car park in Monastery Lane, Ennistymon opened to the public. The new car park provides an additional 48 spaces for residents, visitors and businesses in the heart of the North Clare town, it will be open 24 hours a day across the seven days of the week.
The Clare Echo understands that an official event to mark the opening of the car park will take place later this month.
Discussions on the purchase of the land to be used as a car park were first raised in December 2019 by Cllr Shane Talty (FF) to then Director of Economic Development with Clare County Council, Liam Conneally.
In 2022, planning permission was granted for the delivery of an on-street car park on the site. Since planning was secured, efforts to rehouse bats located around Monastery Lane delayed the project, the stumbling blocks had been criticised by county councillors.
Demolition works for the car park commenced in the final quarter of 2024. In recent months the County Council hired a consultant “to maximise efficiency” with the project to try accelerate its delivery and increase the amount of parking spaces. The amount of spaces provided then increased from 42 to 48.
Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) who had stressed the importance of having the car park ready during the summer season welcomed its opening. “This is a very welcome development for Ennistymon. The new car park will help ease congestion in the town centre and support local businesses by making it easier for people to access shops, services, and amenities. I commend the Council and everyone involved for delivering this important project”.
Officials within the Council say the addition of a car park is part its “ongoing commitment to improving infrastructure and accessibility in towns and villages across the county”.
Director of Services for Social Development with the Council, Jason Murphy stated, “The delivery of this car park reflects Clare County Council’s continued investment in North Clare. Ennistymon is an important hub and market town in North Clare and this car park will improve accessibility for locals and visitors alike. We look forward to seeing the positive impact the new car park has on the town”.
Cllr Talty said, it was “great to finally see the new carpark off Monastery Lane opened to the public, right in the heart of the retail core of the town. This has been a project over five years in the making so I’m delighted to see it completed”. He acknowledged the support of local authority staff “past and present” for delivering on the project. “There’s lots more to do in Ennistymon and throughout North Clare, but it is good to acknowledge a positive step”.
