Limerick town wants Travellers all year round

TRAVELLERS will start returning to Rathkeale soon for the festive period and community groups want them to stay long after Christmas.

Working together, the Rathkeale Community Council, Team Rathkeale and community champion, David Lamont, highlighted how improved occupancy can boost the vibrancy of the town’s consumer economy.

The publication of the proposed Rathkeale Local Area Plan by the council highlighted both opportunities and concerns about occupancy in the town, they say in a statement to Limerick Live.

Unlike other towns, migrant families own an estimated 28% of Rathkeale’s houses. However, their absence for seven of 12 months reduces their contribution to an estimated 6% of the local spending, they say.

“We’ve calculated that the local economy can be improved by up to 66% if new houses are occupied year-round by a typical household of about three people,” said Derek Downes, chairperson of Team Rathkeale, a working group set on boosting the town's economy. Over 50 Rathkeale business owners came together to form the collective in 2020 to spread the town’s good news and to increase footfall," said Mr Downes.

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“As such we encourage migrant Travellers to spend more than Christmas at home. We are also highlighting the benefits of Rathkeale and offering to work with developers to plan attractive housing. Rathkeale is a diamond in the rough,” said Pat Neville, chairperson of Rathkeale Community Council.

“The recently approved Adare bypass should shorten drive times to the city. The town has lots of amenities and we have more affordable housing,” he adds.

The PSRA register of residential sale prices indicates that in 2021 property in Rathkeale was 41% to 67% less expensive than towns nearer to the city on the N21; 5% to 67% less expensive than its nearby neighbours and 41% less than all of County Limerick.

Rathkeale has important amenities such as four schools including a secondary school, library, the only youth centre outside the city, community centre, regional GAA grounds, parks, supermarket, post office, credit union, superstores, petrol stations, salons, a hotel, restaurants, medical services, veterinary services, garda station, fire station, water treatment plant and a host of enviable clubs and societies.