Dundalk Bridge Club to host East of Ireland congress this weekend

Dundalk Bridge Club will host the 72^nd East of Ireland congress in the Crowne Plaza Hotel this weekend.

The grand opening will take place on Friday evening at 7.15pm and will be performed by national president of the CBAI, Fearghal Boyle. The mixed pairs and open pairs contests will then get underway at 7.30pm.

On Saturday the masters and intermediate pairs competitions will begin at 1pm, with the open pairs at 7pm. Teams will then commence on Sunday at 11am, with the inter B pairs and open pairs at 3pm.

Pre-entry is required for all events except the open pairs and should be submitted to Eileen McEntegart at 042-9321643.

All interested parties are welcome to attend.

Debate reignited over future of Hill Street Bridge in Dundalk

A train heading for the Barrack Street freight yard when trains used to go under the Hill Street Bridge

The debate over whether or not to knock the Hill Street bridge has been reignited.

Dundalk Town Council were given the green light to demolish the bridge in 2007 but were waiting for work on the new Tesco development at the old Dundalk Shopping Centre site before proceeding – with the supermarket retailer set to contribute towards the cost and the council co-funding the project.

Those plans are believed to now be up in the air as a result of the changed economic conditions over the course of the last seven years.

Now the council are set to ask their planners to review the original designs to see whether they address the needs of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists in terms of the future development of the town.

Speaking on LMFM this morning though, Cllr Martin Bellew, said he was disappointed that work had not proceeded and insisted he would be raising the matter at the next Town Council meeting to get an update on where things stand at present.

“I understood that as soon as the Tesco job was in operation, work would start on the bridge too but as far as I can see we are no further on.

“I’m disappointed this hasn’t happened and I will be pursuing it at the next meeting,” said Cllr Bellew.

There has been much speculation regarding the future of the the Hill Street bridge for several decades but particularly since the Barrack Street freight yard closed in 1995.

Hill Street Bridge, heading towards Stapleton Place, in years gone by. The bridge is believed to have been built over 150 years ago

Extra councillors for Louth from next year

How Louth’s electoral areas will look next year

Louth will be divided into four electoral areas for next year’s local elections.

The Boundary Commission released their break down of electoral areas yesterday evening with the destination of the seats on Louth County Council determined.

From next year there will be 29 members of the council, as opposed to 26 at present.

As things stand there are five seats for Ardee, six for Drogheda East, four for Drogheda West, five for Dundalk Carlingford and six for Dundalk South.

From next year though Ardee will have six seats, Dundalk Carlingford will have six and Dundalk South will have seven. Drogheda has also been amalgamated into one electoral area with 10 seats.

The following is a detailed description setting out the electoral divisions that comprise each recommended local electoral area:

Ardee Ardee Rural, Ardee Urban, Castlebellingham, Clogher, Clonkeen, Collon, Darver, Dromin, Dromiskin, Drumcar, Dunleer, Dysart, Killanny, Louth, Mansfieldstown, Stabannan and Tallanstown.

Drogheda Fair Gate, Monasterboice, Mullary, St. Lawrence Gate, St. Mary’s (art), St. Peter’s, Termonfeckin and West Gate.

Dundalk – Carlingford All of the existing local electoral area of Dundalk – Carlingford as follows: The parts of the Castletown and Dundalk Rural electoral divisions north of the R178 (Carrickmacross Road), the parts of Dundalk No. 1 Urban, Dundalk No. 3 Urban and Dundalk No. 4 Urban electoral divisions not contained in the local electoral area of Dundalk- South; Ballymascanlan, Carlingford, Drummullagh, Dundalk No. 2 Urban, Faughart, Greenore, Jenkinstown, Rathcor and Ravensdale.

Dundalk – South All of the existing local electoral area of Dundalk – South as follows: The parts of the Castletown and Dundalk Rural electoral divisions south of the R178 (Carrickmacross Road), the parts of Dundalk No. 1 Urban, Dundalk No. 3 Urban and Dundalk No. 4 Urban electoral divisions south of a line drawn as follows: Commencing at the boundary between the electoral divisions of Dundalk No. 1 Urban and Dundalk No. 3 Urban at the Carrickmacross Road Bridge and St. Dominick’s Place and proceeding to the junction of St. Dominick’s Place with the roundabout at the Crescent; then proceeding in a clockwise direction around and excluding the said roundabout to its junction with Anne Street; then proceeding in a north-easterly direction along Anne Street to its junction with Park Street; then proceeding in a north easterly direction along Park Street to its junction with Francis Street; then proceeding in a northeasterly direction along Francis Street and Roden Place to the junction of Roden Place with Jocelyn Street; then proceeding in an easterly direction along Jocelyn Street, Seatown Place and along the road connecting Seatown Place to Barrack Street to reach the junction of said road with the Dundalk Inner Relief Road; then proceeding in a north-westerly projection along the Dundalk Inner Relief Road to its junction with the road at St. Helena; then proceeding along the north-easterly projection of the said road at St. Helena to Dundalk Harbour; and the electoral divisions of Barronstown, Castlering, Creggan Upper and Haggardstown.