Athlone's newlook westside

These images give the first glimpse of what Athlone's westside will look like once Athlone Town Council's regeneration works are complete. The works are due to get underway in the next couple of weeks and will see the area around the castle transformed, while also embracing the history and culture of this corner of town. The design document detailing the works points out that: "The westside of Athlone carries a unique bohemian quality that is both historically and culturally rich. These attributes are valuable assets that should be protected and celebrated to further enrich the area's identity." The document also stresses that the proposal is not simply an aesthetic upgrade exercise, but says the investment in the use of quality materials within the scheme seeks to stimulate a flagging economy and provide a renewed sense of civic pride by providing an attractive environment where people want to be. The redesign of the area will create a new shared environment that will provide for a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape, which will give preference to the person instead of the motor vehicle. Irish limestone and granite stone units will be primarily used to provide the floorscape and will ensure a quality aesthetic and robust, durable surface for the new streetscape. The scheme will also see mature trees planted along the streets in order to provide a green leafy public realm and give instant impact to the new proposal. New specialist lighting and street furniture will also be provided to ensure a comfortable public realm is realised. Speaking about the plans, Town Clerk John Walsh said: "We feel these works are going to give a considerable upgrade to the streets on the westside of town, will enhance the area and make it more attractive to locals and tourists alike. The whole project is costing in excess of €800,000 and is another example of the council's interest in ensuring the development of the westside of town." Welcoming the news that the works will get underway shortly Fianna Fáil Cllr Kieran Molloy said: "I am absolutely delighted. It will not only benefit the west side, but the whole town. The Left Bank is a lovely area, this will enhance it further." Cllr Molloy added that it was great to see the council investing in the westside of town and said a significant amount of money had been spent on the west side in recent years, including the works alongside the canal.