Work to begin next week on Moate amenity park

Plans for a new €750,000 town park in Moate have taken a giant leap forward with news that work will begin on-site next week. Contracts have been signed in recent days with Liffey Developments, a leading landscape engineering company who specialise in park developments, for the new 20-acre facility on the former cowpark lands at Knockdomney, Moate. Construction work is due to begin on February 11 next and the Midland Amenity Park Ltd, the community group spearheading the initiative, expect that the bulk of the project to be completed by next July or August. The exciting venture, located adjacent to Dún na Sí Heritage Centre, will include a wetland reserve, education centre, 12.5 acres of planted parkland with native species, walking trails, a bird hide and a playground. The wetlands area of the park is a turlough. A turlough, or turlach, is a unique type of disappearing lake found mostly in limestone areas of Ireland and attracts a lot of scientific interest because of the variety of flora and fauna. Chairman of Midland Amenity Park Ltd Frank Kelly expressed delight at the signing of the contract documents for work to begin on the new park in Moate. He said the company have carried out a number of similar type projects for local authorities around the country and were chosen after a tendering process carried out in accordance with EU regulations. Costing three quarters of a million euro, the park benefits from 75% grant aid from the Leader Rural Development Programme, with the remaining 25% raised through corporate sponsorship and local fundraising. Mr Kelly thanked the people of Moate and the surrounding areas and Westmeath Community Development Board for their ongoing financial support for the project. He also thanked Westmeath County Council for their support and encouragement. "After three years hard work by the association the park is now becoming a reality," he commented. Back in 2008, the group arose out of a series of community meetings, called to explore potential community uses for the existing wetlands and former cowpark lands located on the outskirts of the town, lands which the council generously agreed to release to the community. A feasibility study was subsequently carried out for the 20-acre park in 2010 and tenders were sought a year later in conjunction with extensive local fundraising. Late last year, the group received over half a million euro from the Leader programme to progress the project. The park will also be home to the statue of Grainne "g by artist, Ann Meldon-Hugh. This sculpture was originally located along the M6 motorway prior to it being stolen some years ago. It's hoped the facility will host an artist in residence to work with local transition year students on a number of art pieces which will be located throughout the park.