Contractor to be hired for Athlone Castle entrance area revamp

A revamp of the area around the entrance to Athlone Castle has been given planning approval to proceed, with a contractor due to be hired by the council to carry out the work.

Fáilte Ireland has provided grant funding towards the project, which will see the approach to the town landmark being given a facelift with the removal of existing ramps, steps, railings and a relocation of public lighting.

These will be replaced with new hard and soft landscaping, footpaths, ramps, steps, lighting, signage and other associated works.

The project is designed to remove clutter in the area around the castle, providing an "unobstructed view of the castle from the bridge" and "maintaining the view of the River Shannon from the Market Square".

Westmeath County Council said this would "improve access to a key tourism asset" and had the potential to "attract additional footfall into Athlone, thereby contributing to its vitality and vibrancy".

At Monday's monthly meeting of the local authority, a planning report on the work was formally approved under the Part 8 planning process which is used by the council for its own projects.

Athlone councillors Frankie Keena and Paul Hogan welcomed the report on the project.

Cllr Keena described it as "a very important piece of enhancement infrastructure for Athlone," while Cllr Hogan said it would "greatly enhance" an "architecturally sensitive" area.

Cllr Keena asked for details of the expected timeframe and cost of the project, but Westmeath County Council chief executive Pat Gallagher indicated he didn't have those details to hand.

"There will be an element of tendered works involved, and the final cost will depend on tendered amounts.

“Off the top of my head I can't recall the Fáilte Ireland grant amount (for the project), but I will certainly circulate that to the members," Mr Gallagher said on Monday.

Referring to a design image of the work, Cllr Hogan mentioned steps that are to be put in place close to the castle entrance.

"Is it possible that the bottom step up may be painted, because it may present a trip hazard?

"I've seen these steps in other towns and they have presented a trip hazard, so there might be a little colour-coding put in there," he suggested.

Mr Gallagher replied that the council would speak to the designers of the project in relation to the colour-coding possibility.

The part 8 planning approval granted at the meeting this week related solely to the area around the Athlone Castle entrance, which faces Market Place, the Luan Gallery and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul.

Earlier this year, Westmeath Tourism Officer Una Doris said the castle entrance area, as it currently stood, was not a place people enjoyed.

"It wasn't a pleasant place to move around, and it was really not an inviting enough place to encourage people into what is really a great visitor attraction in the town," said Ms Doris.