Work starts in Carrick-on-Suir on new riverside park

Work on developing a new €100,000 riverside park in Carrickbeg in Carrick-on-Suir has begun.  

The amenity area is being created on land, locally known as the Bog Field, which is owned by Tirlán but leased to Tipperary County Council. Work began on the project on Wednesday, August 2. 

Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District councillors were informed of the commencement of the project at their monthly meeting in Carrick-on-Suir Town Hall last Thursday. 

In her report to the meeting, District Administrator Marie O’Gorman outlined that Carrick MD secured a €90,000 Town & Village Renewal Scheme grant last year to develop this amenity area on Tirlán lands previously leased to and managed by Carrick-on-Suir Lions Club. Carrick Municipal District has put up €10,000 matching funding towards the project. 

Armed with this funding, the council engaged Cathal O'Meara Landscape Architects to prepare a design and planting scheme in keeping with the natural habitat of the riverside site. 

“Tirlán's goodwill to the Carrickbeg community was evident with the recent execution of a lease and licence for the works in favour of Tipperary County Council, thereby allowing the council to seek tenders for the work,” Ms O’Gorman explained. 

Following evaluation of the tenders, the contract for the project was awarded to Eugene Fallon Plant Hire Limited of Rathloose, Clonmel. Ms O’Gorman confirmed the work commenced on the new park on Monday. 

“We are most thankful to Tirlán Area Manager Joe Barry, who went to great rounds to assist us in bringing this project to fruition, and to his colleague Tirlán Property Manager Paddy O’Keeffe.”

She pointed out the €100,000 budget for the new amenity area was “fairly small” and won’t fund an extensive planting scheme.

 The site’s location in a Special Area of Conservation means there will be constraints on the type of planting in the park. It will have to be in keeping with the local habitat. 

The project originated with a study into the feasibility of developing an amenity area  commissioned by the council in July 2021 at the behest of Carrick-on-Suir councillors Kieran Bourke of Fianna Fáil and David Dunne of Sinn Féin.   They funded the study through General Municipal Allocation funds allocated to them by Carrick MD that year. 

 Cllr  Bourke said he was really excited to see the works starting on the Carrickbeg amenity area as it has been an “eye sore” in the town centre visible from Main Street.