Over €10m awarded for "transformative" regeneration projects in Tullamore

Funding of more than €10 million has been awarded towards four regeneration projects in Tullamore.

The funding for the projects in Offaly's county town was announced this morning (Monday) as part of a €409 million national allocation under the Government's Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund programme.

The vast majority of the funding - some €8.6 million - will go towards the 'O’Connor Square to Church Street/Market Square Link and Church Street/Patrick Street urban street enhancement'.

In addition, some €1.4m has been granted for the 'Harbour Street Urban Regeneration Project' in the town.

Two smaller allocations, of €150,000 apiece, will go towards planning or preparatory work on the 'Tullamore Civic Quarter Options Viability Appraisal and Masterplan' and the 'Kilcruttin Railway Lands - Options Viability and Masterplan'.

Local TD John Clendennen welcomed the funding, saying it will help "transform the face of Tullamore".

The Fine Gael representative said: "This funding is a huge boost to Tullamore, which is somewhere we all want to be able to congregate in, whether it’s to go shopping, meet friends or family or just visit to absorb the daily activity

"When complete, these projects will leave a lasting difference in Offaly and will help to continue to make our county a great place to live, work and raise a family.

"It's worth noting that under this scheme Tullamore was the only eligible town, but I am continuing to work on securing funding for other large-scale projects right across the county," he added.

The funding allocation was also welcomed by Fianna Fáil's Deputy Tony McCormack, who said, "€10.3 million is a very significant investment in Tullamore and, importantly, it covers both projects that can make a difference in the shorter term and the planning needed for the future development of our town."

He added: "The €8.6 million investment linking O’Connor Square with Church Street and Market Square, together with the enhancement of Church Street and Patrick Street, has the potential to make a real difference to this part of the town centre.

"Harbour Street is another important area for Tullamore, and the €1.4 million allocation for urban regeneration there is very welcome.

"I am also particularly pleased to see investment in planning for the future of the Kilcruttin Railway Lands and the Tullamore Civic Quarter.

"These are important strategic areas and we need to be ambitious about how they can contribute to Tullamore over the coming years," said Deputy McCormack.