Camper van visitors made feel very welcome in this town in Tipperary
Camper van site in Clonmel is being promoted widely
Very positive feedback about the camper van site at Suir Island in Clonmel was reported at a meeting of Clonmel Borough District.
In her report to the meeting, District Administrator Carol Creighton said that the Mayor, Pat English, had been written to recently following the AGM in Stoneyford, county Kilkenny, of the Irish Camping and Caravan Club, which covers the 32 counties for campervanning for more than 35 years.
“Most of the members who attended noted that they have used the Clonmel Motorhome Aire in Suir Island since its development,” Ms Creighton stated.
“Every member was totally positive about their stay in Clonmel and they could not praise the place enough.
“They said they were made feel very welcome by the locals and all the businesses that they had encountered.
“One particular couple mentioned that they had spent approximately €1,000 in the clothes shops in the town, while another said his wife had purchased a chair valued at €600, which they had to bring back to Dublin on their last trip.
“All who had been here before said that they will definitely return in the future”.
The District Administrator said that the camper van site is being promoted widely across various social media sites, on the Munster Vales website and through word of mouth as being the ideal base for a campervan adventure spot.
“It is easily accessible from all main routes around the town and is located in a particularly tranquil spot in the centre of the town.
“Visitors have remarked on the breathtaking views of the Comeragh Mountains and the River Suir Blueway Walk/Cycleway,” she stated.
“They have also commented on the friendly welcome they have received right throughout the town while dining, socialising in the pubs and during their shopping experiences right throughout the town”.
Ms Creighton said the site has 18 official parking spaces, which are full to capacity most weekends; fresh water for refilling tanks, a designated water disposal point for grey water and chemical toilets, and regularly emptied bins.
The cost to park is €10 per night and tickets can be purchased online or at the pay and display machines, with a tap option for cards also available, and which are located next to the facilities.
The gardaí also carry out constant patrols at the site, she added.
Cllr Siobhán Ambrose said that the success of the site meant a knock-on effect for shops and businesses in the town.
The Mayor, Pat English, said that the camper van site was a win-win situation, similar to the success of the town bus.
It was bringing great business to the town and this was noticed by shopkeepers and publicans.
Great praise was due to all those who had established the site at the Suir Island car park, he said.
Cllr Tom Acheson suggested that a billboard would be placed at the site, directing people to the tourist office at the Main Guard.
He said that they should make more use of the tourist office.