*Deirdre Comber addresses the public meeting in Miltown Malbay. Photograph: Tom Micks.
WILLIE CLANCY’s week was “becoming too successful” which has resulted in the planned introduction of new measures for this year’s festival.
Miltown Malbay will see the fifty fourth Willie Clancy summer school kick off on Saturday July 4th and run until Sunday July 12th. The festival has recorded a huge increase in visitors post COVID with last year’s summer school the biggest to date.
Due to its growing popularity, a range of new measures are to be brought into play this year including the formation of Coiste Phobail Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, a community group which has presented a blueprint to Clare County Council to ensure the smooth running of this year’s festival.
There are “three critical points” to the blueprint – parking, free flow parking and the availability of toilets. Miltown Malbay’s main street will have no parking with barriers to be erected along either side of the street from next Thursday.
Residents and business owners along Main St will be provided with alternative parking on Ballard Rd. Mary Cleary has given permission for the use of her field on the Ennis Rd beside SuperValu which will provide capacity for up to 220 cars, this free car park will be manned with no access for campervans, opening from 8am each morning of the festival. To aid their efforts, they have appealed to local volunteers to assist with manning new car parks and allowing for traffic flow. Personnel interested in volunteering are asked to text 0833284177.
Sixteen portaloos will be in place in Miltown Malbay for the duration of the festival. “The toilets will be strategically placed,” explained Deirdre Comber who sits on the new community group and also forms part of the festival’s organising committee. The toilets will be in banks of four at locations including Flag Rd, Mullagh Rd, Ennistymon Rd and Ennis Rd. She said the addition of parking in Cleary’s field will be “a huge relief”.
Retired GP, Billy O’Connell has taken on the mantle of Chairman of the new community group. “It is a little journey into the unknown. Willie Clancy week has become so successful that people and traffic management has become an issue for Clare County Council and An Garda Síochána,” he outlined.
Publican Daivd Hillery noted, “We all saw how successful Willie Clancy week was last year and the sheer numbers that visited town, then it came to the attention of the County Council, the County Fire Officer and ourselves that something needs to be put in place to manage and alleviate the pressure the town is under”.
Proposed measures have been agreed “off the back of a number of public meetings,” David said. “We identified areas we could address on the short term and see if we could put them in place for year one, we can build on it, something might work and something might not, it is a learning curve”. Measures were presented to the County Council in a blueprint at a meeting in the Ennistymon offices. He encouraged businesses to ask their suppliers to complete deliveries in early morning where possible.
What has been put forward “is a really positive development,” Deirdre maintained but she stressed “buy in from the community” was critical to its success. Extra signage will be in place on the Ennis Rd to direct those attending classes in Mullagh and Quilty.
Senior executive officer with Clare County Council, John O’Malley said the local authority was “delighted” to come on board and assist “such a successful festival”. According to the Miltown Malbay resident, “traffic management was a serious concern for An Garda Síochána, they were worried of incidents in the town which could have a very negative impact on the festival. We all went the festival to continue but something needed to be done because it was becoming too successful”.
Owner of O’Loughlin’s Bar and Restaurant, Cathal O’Loughlin questioned at a public meeting this week if the barriers along Main Street would have breaks along them. For pedestrians, the barriers will have breaks in them, O’Malley confirmed. “It is year one, we will be learning as we go,” Hillery stated in response, “we have the obvious pinch points in town where traffic is concerned”. Additional parking will also be provided in Spanish Point, “we’re redirecting traffic that doesn’t need to be in town.. it should be for a positive result”.
Laura Galvin Sexton from The Forge on Main Street received assurance that they will be allowed access the loading bay outside O’Loughlins for bands playing on Sunday, Monday and Thursday, the only other spaces available will be wheelchair accessible spots.
All photographs by Tom Micks
