*Photograph: Arthur Ellis
PARKING restrictions are set to be introduced on the main street of Miltown Malbay for Willie Clancy week and casual trading licences will be issued in the coming weeks.
Arrangements for this year’s Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy were discussed at a meeting between An Garda Síochána, the festival organising committee and staff from the West Clare Municipal District office which took place in April.
Operational measures are to be finalised but acting senior engineer with the West Clare MD, Paddy Tiernan confirmed that “suitable locations for additional parking and the provision of portable toilets” had been identified by the organising committee. Discussions are ongoing with local landowners to secure the facilities.
Tiernan advised that “casual trading licences are expected to issue in the coming weeks and will include specific conditions relating to designated locations and operational requirements”.
Continued growth of the festival has led to the need to develop traffic calming measures, he explained. They include the likely introduction of parking restrictions along Main Street. Stewarding and policing arrangements are also being coordinated in conjunction with the Gardaí.
He added, “Increased refuse collection and cleaning arrangements will be put in place to support the event, ensuring the town is maintained to a high standard throughout the festival period. Overall, a coordinated, multi-agency approach continues to be taken to support the safe and successful delivery of the festival”.
Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD, Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) said elected members had not received an update since a public meeting on January 28th in the community centre. He questioned what the envisaged traffic calming measures were likely to be.
Drawings have been designed, Tiernan confirmed with parking to be prohibited on the main street. “Willie Clancy school has formed a committee with business owners to try put smacht on the event, we met them four weeks ago with An Garda Síochána, drawings have been done up for toilets, parking, how we manage the street itself and casual trading too. In terms of Miltown Malbay’s main street, the intention is to put barriers on the street to protect public, musicians, those attending events, it will mean no parking on the street for the event, it is a safety issue”.
Barriers have to be organised but alternative parking will result in “extra parking this year,” the engineer advised. “We are organising additional public toilets and are also dealing with casual trading issue. There is a lot of work going on in the background, we have a very good handle on what needs to be done to have more smacht.. Everything is moving in the right direction and we will have a positive outcome”.
Noting that the festival is around the corner, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) commented, “July 1st is not far away, it will be on us quickly”. He continued, “There’s not an unanimity on the causal trading impact on where that does or does not go, impact of lost parking for residents during the week is important. It was well documented with the picture painted last year on the provision of toilets”.
One “significant” pub closure will also impact on the flow of people in Miltown Malbay, Cllr Talty flagged. “It was a bar with large capacity and an old traditional dance lounge, it was catering for huge crowd during the week of Willie Clancy which will add pressures”.
Water supply “is one less thing to worry about with Coore water scheme relaid,” observed Cllr Michael Shannon (FF). “Hopefully we will have no breaks, it is great that it is live now”.
Whiskey will be drank neat at Willie Clancy week this year, quipped Cllr Joe Killeen (FF). “I hope for the best and expect the worse, we went to Miltown Malbay to meet committee members, there are further changes to be made but change comes slowly”.
There has been a “proactive approach” from the MD office on the matter, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) maintained. “In the context of safety and enjoyment of festivals and events which we’ve made a very high focus, the surge income and windfall income from festivals and events cannot be underestimated anywhere, it is like the crowd which comes to Cusack Park for matches,” he said. “The tourism season is short so we need the footfall. It is a learning process but it is a learning process to build on success so it needs to be carefully managed”.
Clarification was sought by Cllr Dinny Gould (IND) that a one-way system would not be implemented. He was also advised that the barriers that will be placed along main street are those visible in Ennis for the St Patrick’s Day parade and they will stretch the full length of the street.
This prompted Cllr Gould to caution that the fences will be moved at night. “They jump the fences when they come out drunk, I see them at the Rose of Tralee, they will move them around, if you’ve no cars on the street there’s no need of barriers, let them move around. From what I’ve seen, you will see them every morning they will be pelted everywhere”.
Square blocks of concrete had been agreed at the January public meeting, Cllr Slattery recalled. “That was discussed but it is a logistical nightmare, we would need ten truckloads of them, we would need fork lifts and we’re conscious of casual traders,” Tiernan replied. “We did consider that they could be thrown around, we do intend to reinforce them, we have a system in place, we can’t guarantee that someone won’t come out from a pub and throw them around”.
