A new coupon booklet has been released offering plenty of discounts in town centre businesses.
The booklet is available from the Dundalk BIDs and Dundalk Tourist Office at the Market Square and from participating stores in the town centre.
Be sure to pick up your copy and start saving today.
Cars will be unable to turn down Clanbrassil Street from the Market Square today
A lane closure is in operation from 7am to 4pm today in Dundalk town centre.
Traffic will be unable to access Clanbrassil Street from the Market Square as a result of this.
This is to facilitate essential works and Dundalk Town Council have apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Clanbrassil Street can still be accessed via Market Street, Church Street and the Long Walk.
The site on the Ecco Road
A prominent 6.5 acre site in Dundalk has gone on the market with local estate agents Sherry FitzGerald Carroll for €200,000.
The site at the Ecco Road is located opposite Dunnes Stores in Ard Easmuinn and is approximately 1.5km west of the town centre.
The lands are described as extending to 6.5 acres/2.63 hectares and are contained in one block. A portion of the land, which benefits from extensive frontage to the Ard Easmuinn Road, was formerly in use as a car park with the balance of the lands undeveloped in grass.
The lands are presently zoned Retail, Leisure, Recreation and Community in the Dundalk and Environs Development Plan 2009-2015 and are more recently designated as a “Priority Regeneration Area” within Variation No.1 of the Development Plan.
Further details can be obtained by contacting Sherry FitzGerald Carroll on 042 9332173.
Darach McQuaid will be joint grandmaster of the St Patrick’s Day parade in Dundalk, alongside Jack Murphy of Cuchulainn Cycling Club
One of the key figures in bringing the Giro d’Italia to Ireland in May, Darach McQuaid, will be joint grandmaster of this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade in Dundalk.
Mr McQuaid – the brother of former UCI president Pat McQuaid – will share the honour with Jack Murphy of Cuchulainn Cycling Club, who also played a huge role in ensuring the prestigious race came through the town and county.
Jack has numerous Irish Championship titles from the 60s, 70s and 90s and is father in law of Cuchulainn chairman and Cycling Ireland board member, Pat O’Shaughnessy.
A global audience of 250 million viewers will see the Giro d’Italia make its way through Dundalk town centre on May 11th, with a spring also taking place here.
The race arrives in Louth from its start in Armagh via Keady, over Keady mountain, Newtownhamilton, Lislea, Longfield Rd, and into Louth on the Carrickasticken Road, on its journey past Forkhill, into Kilcurry and joining the R177 Armagh Road, onto Lisdoo and into Dundalk town centre.
Leaving Dundalk, it travels on via Castlebellingham, and Drogheda to Dublin.
In this week’s Dundalk Leader, a local family’s association with the BT Young Scientist Exhibition continued when two members of the Begley clan competed in the event. To date the family have won six awards at it in recent years. There’s also news of a revamp for the town centre and pictures from the wedding fair at the Crowne Plaza last weekend.
All that and more in this week’s Dundalk Leader, which can be read online for free here.
Dundalk BIDS have announced that there will be half-price parking in Dundalk town centre over the Christmas period.
The reduced pay-parking rates come into force today and will run until January 4th.
The price of an hour’s parking now stands at 50 cent an hour and it is hoped this will encourage Christmas trade in the town.
Dundalk ratepayers are being asked to support Dundalk’s Business Investment District Scheme (BIDS) through to 2018 by voting yes in the upcoming ballot.
As ballot papers on the continuation of the scheme are being sent out, Dundalk BIDS Chairperson Brian O’Neill along with Fiona Cunningham who has worked in the BIDS office since its establishment in 2009 spoke of the vital positive work the office has been involved with.
Dundalk was the first town to take up the BIDS strategy and has had a huge involvement in many projects and initiatives over the year including the Market Square refurbishment, the return of the Dundalk Tourist Office to the Market Square, Town Watch, Fashion Festivals, Táin Summer Festival, Festival of Lights and Culture and Dundalk on Ice.
“I have to say I don’t know if many of the initiatives we would have been involved in would have come about, or been so successful, had there not been a BIDS presence in Dundalk,” Brian O’Neill said this week.
He explained: “Visitors to Dundalk and the surrounding areas now come straight to the heart of the town centre to the Tourist Office. They not only find out about hotels, B&Bs and tourist attractions but are given details on where to eat, where to shop etc.
“It was BIDs who paved the way for the Tourist Office to re-open at the Square after many years absence and I regard that as one of our greatest achievements. This would not have happened without Dundalk BIDS input and investment.”
The Town Watch system is another initiative Brian is proud of.
“Again BIDS plays an extremely active role in our Town Watch, which provides a quick and effective way to notify local businesses of anti social behaviour or security threats. Its success is seen in the growing attendances at out monthly meetings.”
Fiona Cunningham has seen the great changes in the town centre over the past number of years, thanks to Dundalk BIDS.
“You only have to take a look at Dundalk at Christmas to see the many positive changes BIDS has been involved in.
“A few years ago, prior to the Market Square refurbishment, Dundalk had a very lovely Christmas tree in front of the Court House. This year we will have the Christmas tree at the Square along with Dundalk on Ice, The Festival of Lights and Culture and The Dundalk Santa Fun Run.
“Dundalk BIDS is involved in all of the events and provides a vital base and communications network at the centre of the town.
“Imitation is the greatest form of flattery and towns both North and South of Dundalk are taking on our ideas but it is great to know we are a step ahead all the way.
“Dundalk BIDS is unique. I firmly believe the town would be at a disadvantage if the Dundalk BIDS office was not here. Ratepayers have been strong in their support for BIDS since its establishment and I would ask all ratepayers to vote tes on their ballot papers.”
Ratepayers must return their ballot papers to Dundalk Town Council by close of business on Monday, December 9th.
The town’s residential properties might be moving at present, as evidenced by ads from Sherry FitzGerald and DNG in the local press this week, but from a commercial point of view things are bad in the town centre area
A reader of Talk of the Town, who has asked not to be named, went on a walk through Dundalk town centre today.
Out of interest, she decided to count every for sale or to let sign in the areas that could be listed as the town centre.
She counted 49.
Forty-nine!
It would be very interesting to know what percentage of the entire town centre’s retail market that makes up. Either way, it’s very high and highlights what sort of a situation we’re in at present.
Talk of the Town 