Clonmel town centre

eco

quoteunquote wrote: »

Whatever happened to that proposed Argos up at the old Chadwicks lot?

just a rumour

apparantly they are makin it into the new cop shop

eco

clansman wrote: »

there is nothing, no bowling ally, .

yes there is bowling

eco

murray sparkle wrote: »

There are too many tatoo parlours and stuff around the town. It just drags it down.

!

huh?theres only two- i dont see no complaints about the no of pubs or off licences in clonmel

but oh ya its the 2 tattoo parlours thats draggn it down

FFS cop on

pretty-in-pink

The old Chadwicks lot is going to be an ice rink I thought

It BeeMee

pretty-in-pink wrote: »

The old Chadwicks lot is going to be an ice rink I thought

From what I heard it's only a Christmas thing?

Blush_01

I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of Clonmel (it MIGHT have something to do with my wallet, complete with over €500 of 21st birthday present cash in it being stolen on Christmas week a few years ago... that was a sh!t christmas!) and I haven't been for a while. Especially at night, Clonmel doesn't feel safe. That said, there are some lovely little shops in Clonmel and it still has a bit of life to it during the day. Lets face it, it could be worse - take a look at Tipperary Town. They don't call it Tipp for nothing.

archtech

Part of the problem with Clonmel is, the Local Authority.Most of the buildings in the Town Centre are either protected structures or adjacent to protected structures which brings alot of hassel for those who would be interested in developing them.
The Planners make it so difficult for anyone who wants to develop in the town centre that is often not worth the hassel or money. A number of years ago there were proposal to develop Suir Island, to include a 5 Star Hotel & Leisure Centre, Shops, Offices along with some Residental develpment and a multi-story car park with new bridge onto Suir Island at the bottom of Sarsfield Street, do you think that the Local Authority were in favour of the development, they refused the development after insisting on the developers to get studies done on everything for the colour of the water in the river and the effects of the development on potential flooding to effects of the proposed hotel on the existing hotels in the town.
Of course things aren't helped on the planning front by the not in my back garden group or the small town anything over two storey is too high group.

Secondly the price of property and rents in the town are too high, this is partially due to one auctioneer who likes to tell people that he can get the M & S or next type clients.

Pigletlover

archtech wrote: »

Part of the problem with Clonmel is, the Local Authority.Most of the buildings in the Town Centre are either protected structures or adjacent to protected structures which brings alot of hassel for those who would be interested in developing them.
The Planners make it so difficult for anyone who wants to develop in the town centre that is often not worth the hassel or money. A number of years ago there were proposal to develop Suir Island, to include a 5 Star Hotel & Leisure Centre, Shops, Offices along with some Residental develpment and a multi-story car park with new bridge onto Suir Island at the bottom of Sarsfield Street, do you think that the Local Authority were in favour of the development, they refused the development after insisting on the developers to get studies done on everything for the colour of the water in the river and the effects of the development on potential flooding to effects of the proposed hotel on the existing hotels in the town.
Of course things aren't helped on the planning front by the not in my back garden group or the small town anything over two storey is too high group.

Well said.

With the number of empty units around the town, planners should be trying to encourage development instead of entertaining wightless objections

archtech wrote: »

Secondly the price of property and rents in the town are too high, this is partially due to one auctioneer who likes to tell people that he can get the M & S or next type clients.

What's worse is that the property owners actually believe that and that's why their properties are still lying idle :rolleyes:

r3nu4l

pretty-in-pink wrote: »

There is a bowling alley

irishgem wrote: »

There is a bowling alley but yeah....the town is pretty dead alright!

eco wrote: »

yes there is bowling

Yup, the bowling alley is a great addition but to be honest they need to make a lot more of it if it's to become a major attraction. The upstairs part is hideous and seems like an afterthought but at least the bowling lanes are kept in good shape
The bowling centre is based on the bypass and not in the town centre so that doesn't help the town centre.

My wife is from Cahir so anytime we're in Clonmel we pop into the griddle for some cakes and buns...mmm, coffee slices ftw! I did notice the last time we were home that a few places were boarded up alright.

Also, the last time we were in the cinema there were a group of kids who had obviously snuck into the film, talked, laughed and played with their phones through the first fifteen minutes before getting up and leaving...no staff anywhere to chuck them out. Had I been there on my own and not with my wife I might have caused a scene but she's a calming influence on me and that's a good thing

Meathlass

I'm back living in Clonmel after about 7 years away and it's very sad to see the town centre so run down. A lot of the shops are boarded up and all the for lease signs seem to dominate. The Poppyfields and Tesco are definately taking business away from the town but you can't have it both ways. I do my week day shopping in Tesco as it's handy for me as I live near the bypass but on weekends I go into the town centre, go to the library, shop in Dunnes in Oakville, and Wheleans butchers, usually meet friends in Niamh's coffee shop and there are some nice small shops on Mitchell St where you can get arty things, books and jewellry/handbags. The only way for the town centre to survive is if people go into it and buy things. There's no point complaining about how bad it is and then going to Tesco and Supervalue. This isn't unique to Clonmel either, it's happening to all towns in Ireland.

The weekend scene isn't too bad in Clonmel. You have the comedy club in O'Keeffes and live bands from time to time. Declan O'Rourke and Neil Delamare are playing soon. As far as I know the cinema is the biggest in Tipp and of course we have the bowling alley! The ice rink is opening in Chadwicks on 11th December for Christmas. I have to say though on a weekday night there is nothing to do. Nowhere open except the pubs. I dated a guy in Clonmel and we were at a loss, there's only so many movies you can see, we even went to Circles to play air hockey but the table was broken (wonder if he's the guy in one of the previous posts!!!) There was nowhere except a pub to sit down and have a cup of coffee.

r3nu4l

Meathlass wrote: »

I have to say though on a weekday night there is nothing to do. Nowhere open except the pubs. I dated a guy in Clonmel and we were at a loss, there's only so many movies you can see, we even went to Circles to play air hockey but the table was broken (wonder if he's the guy in one of the previous posts!!!) There was nowhere except a pub to sit down and have a cup of coffee.

This is where the Clonmel bowling alley falls down a bit for me. It's not the kind of place you'd spend an evening in with friends. You'd bowl and go elsewhere as soon as you are finished! In Cambridge the bowling alley has a full bar and restaurant inside as well as the usual pool tables and arcade machines. There's also a DJ on Friday nights. The unit isn't on its own either like the clonmel bowl. There are restaurants, bars and a multiplex cinema on the same complex.

It doesn't help that clonmel bowling alley does not feel like a comfortable building, it feels more like a warehouse with some stuff inside. Not the kind of place for a nice cup of coffee before or after a game of bowling.

I know that developing that site would take away from the town centre even more but if it's looking for something to do then these entertainment spaces need a bit more planning.

Meathlass

r3nu4l wrote: »

This is where the Clonmel bowling alley falls down a bit for me. It's not the kind of place you'd spend an evening in with friends. You'd bowl and go elsewhere as soon as you are finished! In Cambridge the bowling alley has a full bar and restaurant inside as well as the usual pool tables and arcade machines. There's also a DJ on Friday nights. The unit isn't on its own either like the clonmel bowl. There are restaurants, bars and a multiplex cinema on the same complex.

It doesn't help that clonmel bowling alley does not feel like a comfortable building, it feels more like a warehouse with some stuff inside. Not the kind of place for a nice cup of coffee before or after a game of bowling.

I know that developing that site would take away from the town centre even more but if it's looking for something to do then these entertainment spaces need a bit more planning.

Totally agree with you, the bowling alley is a very unwelcoming place. Even though it's only built a few years it looks shabby. At least in the Summer you can go for a walk down by the river or around the town but it's so cold and dark now it's not really something you'd do for fun. The provision of entertainment services is a difficult one though for any small town but there's no buzz around Clonmel during the week. The two main streets are dark and empty. Reading the Nationalist the general population seem to think that all their problems will be solved with a multi storied parking. I'm inclined to agree with a previous poster who suggested that the rates charged for businesses are too much. Angela's coffee show closed because she couldn't afford the new lease or rates (not sure which one)

My brother had his rent increased by 200 euros a month for a 5 bedroom house in Clonmel last week; they immediately went on Daft and found a new house for the same rate they are paying now, closer to town for 1300 euros a month. When they rang their landlord, he was shocked, begged them to stay, said he's lower the rent again for another few months. They told him to get lost and they're moving out next week. He'll find it very difficult to get new tenants for Christmas, all because he was too greedy or prehaps he can't afford his investment property anymore. It's a general malaise all over the country.

Pigletlover

Meathlass wrote: »

He'll find it very difficult to get new tenants for Christmas, all because he was too greedy or prehaps he can't afford his investment property anymore. It's a general malaise all over the country.

I doubt it, there's a shortage of rental properties in Clonmel, that's why rents have increased so much in the last year or so, because landlords know that tenants have little or no choice.

ciano1

Meathlass wrote: »

we even went to Circles to play air hockey but the table was broken (wonder if he's the guy in one of the previous posts!!!) There was nowhere except a pub to sit down and have a cup of coffee.

Lol last time i checked that air hockey table was gone

archtech

What hasn't helped the town centre is the leakage of "high street" type shops to the Poppyfields. Neither the Carphone Warehouse or Paco should be there as both fit into the category of High Street and should be in the town centre, ok I know the Carphone Warehouse have a shop in Gladstone Street. Hopefully the mixed development of the former Clonmel Meats in Irishtown will be a boost to the town. The new shopping centre on the Davis Road, in the Showgrounds should also bring more business towards the town centre, if /when it starts. Of course many of the surrounding towns now have their own Tesco, Dunnes, Supervalue, Aldi or whoever, the same volume of people don't or have to travel into Clonmel.

I do agree that the bowling alley looks and feels industrial, but it location doesn't help. Regarding a bar beginning provided it in, I know that this would meet huge opposition from the residents in the area.(One developer had great difficulty getting planning permission for a housing development in the area because he was proposing semi-d houses ) The only way you'll get a new bar/public house is to build a hotel, as the opposition to any new proposals has been huge in the past.

Meathlass

I do agree that the bowling alley looks and feels industrial, but it location doesn't help. Regarding a bar beginning provided it in, I know that this would meet huge opposition from the residents in the area.(One developer had great difficulty getting planning permission for a housing development in the area because he was proposing semi-d houses ) The only way you'll get a new bar/public house is to build a hotel, as the opposition to any new proposals has been huge in the past.[/QUOTE]

You're right about the location, even if there was a bar here, it's too far to walk anywhere else from. It's very dependant on having a car to get to it which means there's not much point in having a bar there. The ice rink in Chadwicks will hopefully be better as it's a much more central location. I'd like to think it will be a whole complex with small stalls selling mulled wine, foodstuffs and crafts in the style of Christmas markets in Europe but I haven't heard any of the proposals so doubt it.

Why would there be such opposition to further development in that area of the bypass near the bowling alley? I know there are alot of houses near it but don't see why having a bar there would really affect them at all.

archtech

Meathlass wrote: »

Why would there be such opposition to further development in that area of the bypass near the bowling alley? I know there are alot of houses near it but don't see why having a bar there would really affect them at all.

Because some people are small minded and think it would bring anti-social behaviour to the area and also devalue their houses. There was huge opposition to medium density housing scheme of semi-detached houses in the area within the last 3 years because the residents felt it would devalue their houses.
About 5 years ago the was a planning application for a small neighbourhood centre along with a bar on the Cashel Road and the residents in the area objected to it ont he grounds that it would be a source of anti-social behaviour and encourage underage drinking. The typcial not in my back garden attitude !
Nobody was interested in the fact that they could walk to and from the pub/bar ! The opposition to the development was so hugh that the Planning Authority refused the development.

Meathlass

archtech wrote: »

Because some people are small minded and think it would bring anti-social behaviour to the area and also devalue their houses. There was huge opposition to medium density housing scheme of semi-detached houses in the area within the last 3 years because the residents felt it would devalue their houses.
About 5 years ago the was a planning application for a small neighbourhood centre along with a bar on the Cashel Road and the residents in the area objected to it ont he grounds that it would be a source of anti-social behaviour and encourage underage drinking. The typcial not in my back garden attitude !
Nobody was interested in the fact that they could walk to and from the pub/bar ! The opposition to the development was so hugh that the Planning Authority refused the development.

Why am I not suprised? It's just a typical attitude that some people have. Object to everything without hearing it on it's merits. As if having a lack of entertainment options is helping to stem the tide of anti-social behaviour. You would think the residents in that area would be interested in any shops or bars as they would offer more ammenities. Personally I wouldn't rent or buy any houses out near the bypass. There are so far from town that you would need a car to go anywhere.

murray sparkle

Someone hit the nail on the head about the reason for empty shops all over the town, people are being fed the M&S and Next dream and that's why they are keeping the places empty. I can't blame people like Paco for moving out of town - the rent is probably better and the parking is no problem and if my wife is anything to go by- if women want to spend money they will look at all the options if they are in town or not.

Talking about empty buildings just look at that office block in Gurtnafleur, the 3 storey one at entrance that has FBD in there - two out of the six units are occupied after two years and the rest of the place is in darkness. Why? because one unit costs €70,000 a year to rent. That's crazy. There is a lack of decent quality office space in Clonmel and that would be filled five times over if the rents were more reasonable. But my guess is that whoever owns that building is holding out for another bout of decentralisation or something similar. They may have to wait- the same developers have built an identical building in Ard Gaoithe business park, most of the buildings in Ard Gaoithe have office elements to them as well, there's a couple of thousand square feet of space up for grabs in that new Anglesea street development, there's a new office business park in Kilsheelan that looks nice on the plans, then there's the Ballingarrane developement. The County Enterprise Board are building serviced office buildings up there (admittedly they claim they will cherry pick occupants). So there's an awful lot of empty expensive office space and loads of companies in town crammed into old buildings that would take that space of it was more reasonable.

Meathlass

I went into town on Saturday to do some window shopping. Got parking with no major problems. The one thing I noticed though was that once it got dark there were very few street lights either on or they weren't turned up high enough. At 5.30pm I found myself picking my way gingerly along the street in case I fell over on the street. .

michael196

hmmm..... Townie here, born and bred in Irishtown, between St marys and the west gate, practically opposite Ryans Pub. I am a little alarmed at what I am reading here, I have not been home in a few months, but to think of boardings in O Connel street or gladstone street , seems unimaginable. I will need to visit soon and check this out.

Clonmel town center has always had a somewhat of a element of late night louts. These guys are usually load but harmless but none the less, somewhat intimidating.

The developments such as M+S and the Tesco development, will ultimatly serve the town realy well, and the market for rent in o connell and gladstone will re adjust, my wife is already planning shopping trips top M+S.

After moving out of clonmel for years, I realised that fundamentally the town is wealthy, and not in any bad state. I look forward to visiting again real soon. There is definatly a lack of a coffee shop in the town such as westgate design in Wexford, how about the restaurant near the entrance to superquin, used to be an old car museum ? or Hickeys bakery place at the west gate ??

I love what they have done with the main gaurd !! and that great italien restaurant in sarsfield steet.

anyone ever heard of Walls Place in Clonmel ??

Opportunities abound in clonmel gladstone street or o connel street. and a top rate restaurant would clean up. Clonmel certainly lacks first rate restaurants.

Snake Plisken

Whats happening with the Clonmel Arms? Was it sold on? Any idea when its opening up again? There was rumours for years of Argos opening up where Slatteries Electrical show used to be (across from St Peter & Pauls church), something like that would get shoppers interested in the town centre again.

tippspur

Parking in the town at peak shopping is still a nightmare,you must be prepared to drive around in circles in Mary street car park or superquinn car park before you get lucky.you would want some patience for it. and with Xmas on the way the nightmare will double..:(

tippspur

Snake Plisken wrote: »

Whats happening with the Clonmel Arms? Was it sold on? Any idea when its opening up again? There was rumours for years of Argos opening up where Slatteries Electrical show used to be (across from St Peter & Pauls church), something like that would get shoppers interested in the town centre again.

The Clonmel arms site is being dragged out by objections to the plans,a multistory car park on part of that site has been rejected,the latest of many rumors about Argos is that they will be setting up in the showgrounds....

Snake Plisken

tippspur wrote: »

The Clonmel arms site is being dragged out by objections to the plans,a multistory car park on part of that site has been rejected,the latest of many rumors about Argos is that they will be setting up in the showgrounds....

Ok so thats where Marks & Spencers are setting up, is that right?

ciano1

michael196 wrote: »

Opportunities abound in clonmel gladstone street or o connel street. and a top rate restaurant would clean up. Clonmel certainly lacks first rate restaurants.

Abrakebabra..!:rolleyes::D

pretty-in-pink

I heard that Argos will go in where tescos used to be. Of course it will be late next year befoer stuff is open (earliest opening date afaik is April 09), but still at least Clonmel is getting stuff opening and developing.....plenty of other towns are not.

We need a proper night club too. Somewhere over 21s. Dannos is a bit of a creche, and ok's is....well...meat market springs to mind. I must say, I really like Tierneys and the posthouse though.

tippspur

Snake Plisken wrote: »

Ok so thats where Marks & Spencers are setting up, is that right?

Yep

tippspur

pretty-in-pink wrote: »

I heard that Argos will go in where tescos used to be. Of course it will be late next year befoer stuff is open (earliest opening date afaik is April 09), but still at least Clonmel is getting stuff opening and developing.....plenty of other towns are not.

We need a proper night club too. Somewhere over 21s. Dannos is a bit of a creche, and ok's is....well...meat market springs to mind. I must say, I really like Tierneys and the posthouse though.

Dont knock OKs, they are at least making a great effort to bring top class musicians/bands and comedians into the town at reasonable admission prices, cant wait to see PJ Gallagher there in a couple of weeks..:)

pretty-in-pink

tippspur wrote: »

Dont knock OKs, they are at least making a great effort to bring top class musicians/bands and comedians into the town at reasonable admission prices, cant wait to see PJ Gallagher there in a couple of weeks..:)

Any night but Saturday is grand there, in act I'm looking forward to moving home so I can enjoy thurs/fri or sun nights out in ok's. its just saturdays....they really suck. to busy

(i feel really old now)