Around 200 people marched from Ennis town centre to Clare County Council’s head office on New Road this morning to hand in a petition with 3,500 signatures to Mayor of Ennis Councillor Pat Daly.
The Save Ennis Town petition asks members of the local authority to stop plans to build on two riverside car parks in the town.
The silent march by business owners and concerned locals made its way from the Abbey Street carpark to Áras Contae an Chláir where Mayor Daly was waiting to receive the petition.
This morning’s march was organised by the Save Ennis Town group who are opposed to the council and Ennis 2040 DAC plan to build on the two car parks in the town centre. The group says the move would deprive the town of vital civic and amenity spaces and view such plans as “destructive”.
Marchers carried a large inflatable elephant to symbolise the ‘white elephant’ which they believe the proposed carpark development would be.
Concerned local Joan Duggan delivered the red petition box to Mayor Daly and outlined the group’s concerns over the plan.
A group of 35 people were permitted invited into the public gallery area of the council chamber to view the start of the regular Ennis Municipal District meeting where the petition was mentioned first on the order of business and officially handed in by Cllr Johnny Flynn.
Gearóid Mannion, Chairman of Save Ennis Town said: “Save Ennis Town are calling upon all 28 Clare County Councillors not to transfer this invaluable public property to Ennis 2040 DAC, an entity that, as presently constituted, can later dispose of this once public property, without the consent of the Clare County Council or the Councillors themselves.
Mr Mannion added: “Save Ennis Town was formed after a public meeting on 4th May 2023 in the Temple Gate Hotel with over 200 people in attendance, all gravely concerned about the Clare County Council/Ennis 2040 DAC plans to remove nearly 200 scarce parking spaces by shutting down, and building on, the riverside car parks at Abbey Street and Parnell Street.
Their plans will mean replacing parking, the taxi ranks and riverside amenities with large, multi-story buildings, of uncertain commercial viability. The Clare County Council/Ennis 2040 DAC proposals for these public locations form a type of speculative development comprising of high cost office and large retail plans that could see the centre of Ennis becoming home to a sorry gathering of abandoned ‘white elephants’ in the years to come.”
“The hugely positive public response to our petition demonstrates that the people of Ennis, and beyond, are overwhelmingly opposed to the destruction of our riverside car parks, a move that will tear the heart our of our beautiful town. We urge our Councillors and the Executive of Clare county Council to listen to the voice of the people and abandon these ill-conceived plans,” Mr Mannion added.
