Pictured yesterday (Thursday) at a contract signing in relation to a €200,000 masterplan for Tullamore's Grand Canal Harbour were: (Front, L-R): Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Cllr Frank Moran, Kieran O’Brien, Director Grafton Architects, Garret McGrath, Regional Director Waterways Ireland. (Back, L-R): Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and Anna Marie Delaney, Chief Executive of Offaly County Council.

Boost for 'game changing' Tullamore Harbour plan

Adrian Cusack

Published: Fri 11 Nov 2022, 5:35 PM

Last updated: Fri 11 Nov 2022, 5:59 PM

An ambitious overhaul of Tullamore's Grand Canal Harbour area, which is regarded by local councillors as a "game changing" development for the town, moved a step closer yesterday (Thursday).

During a visit to Tullamore by Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien, contracts were signed with Waterways Ireland and Grafton Architects for the preparation of a €200,000 masterplan that will aim to breathe new life into the area.

The council said the contractor would "assess the development potential" of the Grand Canal Harbour site in Tullamore, as well as the adjacent Young's Store on Convent Road.

Under the project, Grafton Architects will prepare development options for the site and a viability appraisal.

They will then prepare a masterplan, following direction from the Waterways Ireland and Offaly County Council project management team, on the preferred option. The masterplan is due to be completed by mid-2023.

The Cathaoirleach of Tullamore Municipal District, Cllr Neil Feighery, described the Grand Canal Harbour as "an under-utilised gem" in the centre of Tullamore.

"Up to now it has been the depot for Waterways Ireland, who are in the process of moving out to a new site in Cappincur, and that is paving the way for a whole redevelopment along the harbour," explained Cllr Feighery.

"I think this will contribute in no small way to our tourism offering in Tullamore as well, because the Grand Canal is a great asset and opening it up to business, housing, enterprise and tourism will be very positive."

Another local councillor, Tony McCormack, said the project would ultimately create a direct link between the harbour area and Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock, which is home to tech giants such as Google, Meta, and Twitter.

“We want to make the harbour somewhere that you can live, work and play,” said Cllr McCormack.

“What we envisage is having accommodation, offices, shop units, cafes and restaurants using the harbour area.

“We would also like to tie it in with the Grand Canal Dock in Dublin, which would be connected to a ‘Grand Canal Dock’ in Tullamore by the Grand Canal.

“You have the likes of Facebook and Google in (Grand Canal Dock) - we’d like to have something similar here in Tullamore.”

Pictured at the contract signing yesterday were: (Front, L-R) Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Cllr Frank Moran; Kieran O’Brien, Director Grafton Architects; Garret McGrath, Regional Director, Waterways Ireland. (Back, L-R), Caroline McCarroll Waterways Ireland; Eanna Rowe, Waterways Ireland; Shane Twohig, Grafton Architects; Minister Darragh O’Brien; Anna Marie Delaney, Offaly County Council Chief Executive; Stephane Duclot, Offaly County Council Director of Services; Peter Graham Waterways Ireland, Orla Martin, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office, Offaly.

Cllr McCormack pointed out that there was a local connection with the consultants hired to work on the plan for the area.

“One of the main partners at Grafton Architects is Yvonne Farrell, a Tullamore woman who has been based in Dublin for many years.

“We’re delighted that her company has got the job because they’re award-winning consultants and have done fantastic designs not alone in Ireland but internationally.”

The contract signing was part of a busy itinerary for Minister Darragh O’Brien in Tullamore yesterday, as he also visited local housing developments offering a combined total of 71 new-build units in Tullamore for people on the social housing list.

His schedule began with the opening of an eight-home social housing development at Castleview, Mucklagh, and this was followed by the opening of 26 new housing units at a Jackson’s Hill, Tullamore, a project which was developed by the Cluid housing agency.

Minister O’Brien also paid a site visit to an 18-unit social housing development at Chancery Walk, Tullamore, which incorporates four Traveller-specific Group Housing Scheme units.

The Fianna Fáil Minister’s last stop was at Clonminch, Tullamore, where Oaklee Housing is at an advanced stage of construction on 19 “age friendly” units that are due to be allocated in the coming weeks.

Cllr Feighery said the housing developments which were opened yesterday were “the culmination of a lot of graft and hard work,” and they had been made possible by funding from the Department of Housing.

“Minister Paschal Donohoe visited Castleview earlier in the year, and really the standard of housing there is something to behold. They are beautiful new houses with air to water heating systems, and heat recovery ventilation systems.

“Eight of those homes being provided to local families is a real success story and a prime example of collaboration between a private developer (Hanney Properties Ltd) and Offaly County Council, which facilitated the development and essentially bought the development from the developer upon completion,” said Cllr Feighery.

He added that the 19 new homes coming on stream in Clonminch had been “specifically designed with older people or people with disabilities” in mind.

“What we envisage there is that someone with those needs might be living in a council house that’s unsuitable for them at present, so (their move) would also free up another house for a family."