O'Rourke praises Irish Rail for anti-dumping fences at Sarsfield Square

Athlone councillor Aengus O'Rourke has commended Irish Rail for taking action to address a dumping problem at the railway bridge between St Mel's and Sarsfield Square.

Cllr O'Rourke said he had been working closely with the Sarsfield Square Residents' Association in recent years and that a number of important improvements had been made in the area.

He said new playground equipment had been installed, a new drainage system put in place, a laneway gate added, the old St Mel's pitch cleaned out, and fencing repaired at the Greenway.

He also said it was planned to install new changing rooms for Melville United in March.

"However, one persistent problem we had was the dumping of household waste on open ground to the side of the railway bridge going from St Mel's into Sarsfied Square," said the Fianna Fáil councillor.

"Despite all our efforts, the culprits were constantly dumping their ashes, cans and general waste in this open space.

"I approached Irish Rail last year. The area in question is their property, so I asked if they would consider securing the area by fencing it off.

"It was a big area to fence off, but they agreed late last year to carry out the work in early 2022. I am delighted to see the fence now complete, and as a result, the area is looking a lot cleaner.

"I want to sincerely thank local Irish Rail management for their support for this initiative and indeed for all the support they give the council, and the town in general," he said.