Connaught Street group hopes to buy four derelict properties

The Connaught Street community is preparing to take control of the long-awaited redevelopment of the west side of Athlone by placing a bid on four derelict properties in the area.

A company is “in the process of being formed” at the moment, according to local architect and member of the Connaught Street Traders, Residents and Environs Committee Tim Dowling, with the intention of placing a bid on the derelict properties which are currently being offered for sale by Westmeath County Council.

And in the absence of any definitive date for the publication of the long-awaited regeneration plan for the west side of Athlone by Westmeath County Council, Tim Dowling says the local community is “pressing ahead with our own plans for the area.”

Tim Dowling confirmed to the Westmeath Independent this week that the Connaught Street committee is putting together “a visionary plan” for the area which will “feed into” the council's regeneration project. “We are hoping to be in a position to place a bid on the four derelict properties and to have a say in their future use,” he said.

While he acknowledged that the local umbrella group of traders and residents in the Connaught Street area are “in general agreement” with the council on the need for a mix of retail and residential uses for the buildings on the historic west side street, he indicated that perhaps there could be “a community use” for part of the site where the four derelict properties are located.

The adjoining properties in question, numbers 39a to 45, are being offered for sale, on behalf of Westmeath County Council, by estate agents Avision Young at a guide price of €450,000.

The buildings are described as offering a "unique town centre refurbishment/redevelopment opportunity in a prominent town centre location".

They cover a total area of 435.67 square metres, on a 0.1 hectare site, and the estate agent said they would be "suitable for a variety of uses in an area designated for urban regeneration."

At a well-attended public meeting last month, the Connaught Street committee called for the sale of the four derelict properties to be halted until such time as a comprehensive regeneration plan for the area is published by Westmeath County Council.

The committee was considerably buoyed up by being named as the County Award winners for Heritage Week, which took place this year from August 12 to 20.

The theme for Heritage Week 2023 was 'Living Heritage' which asked local communities to focus on the practices, knowledge and skills that have been passed from one generation to the next, and are still in use today.

Connaught Street Traders, Residents and Environs Committee organised a shopfronts exhibition celebrating the heritage of the historic high street, from families living over the iconic shops to the music, poetry and writing produced by literary figures living in the area.

Tim Dowling said the County Heritage Award would “not have been possible” without the involvement and support of a number of key people, including Mayor of Athlone Moate Municipal Distict, Cllr Louise Heavin, who initiated their involvement in Heritage Week “and supported us in absolutely all aspects”; local historian, Gearóid O'Brien; the actors from Athlone Little Theatre; Chrissie Killian Keane; Anthony Keane and Eamon O'Rourke, all of whom were instrumental in bringing the rich literary history of the street to life.

“The County Heritage Award shows that the west side of Athlone is still alive and kicking,” said Tim Dowling, “and demonstrates once again the very strong sense of community on Connaught Street and environs.”