New foot bridge in Ennis

drunken_munky52

New steel foot bridge just mounted at Abbey street carpark going into the back of the new hostel. What the hell?

Its looks very out of place, and I see no purpose or need for it. For one, it only serves guests at the hostel and theres the fact that a 2 bridges are already within a stones throw from it. What a waste of money! I hope it wasnt the taxpayer who spent it!

Stuxnet

its a bit chunky for the span that's therealright, but it will look cool when the place is finished, there will be cafes and shops running parallel to the river, cant say no to progress, no tax payer didn't pay, its a private job

asmobhosca

yeah the developer had to pay for it, he didnt want it either the planners in ennis made him build it.
Its totally unecessary but I think it will look well when its all finished and the new hostel can only mean morte people coming to ennis... Although it looks like a bridge over the liffey on the quays in dublin rather than ennis, slightly over-engineered didnt need to be that big for the footfall it will probably get.
they wont find it easy to get tenants for the shops though judging by the number of vacant commercial units in town.

BLITZ_Molloy

It's been a long time coming. Henrys restaurant sort of picked that location in anticipation that the bridge would be completed a few months after he moved in, and that was 6 or 7 years ago. The people who owned the site/hostel are shrewd business people so I guess they waited till construction costs were sensible before developing the site.

There was talk that there was a bar and nightclub going in there years ago, but I suppose that was a different time. I can't quite see shops doing that fantastically. Maybe a decent cafe would do well.

Now that developers aren't hell bent on building on every possible site in town I think the council should buy the Bank of Irelands garden site and turn it into a park. There's barely a patch of grass in the whole of ennis. It could do with some sort of central area for people to socialise that wasn't a carpark. The site for the new Library would do reasonably as well (why do we need a new library, the old site is fine?) if it wasn't so swampy.

What's going on with the park by the tennis club? There's some sort of work going on there now.

ktc1

BLITZ_Molloy wrote: »

It's been a long time coming. Henrys restaurant sort of picked that location in anticipation that the bridge would be completed a few months after he moved in, and that was 6 or 7 years ago. The site for the new Library would do reasonably as well (why do we need a new library, the old site is fine?) if it wasn't so swampy.

What's going on with the park by the tennis club? There's some sort of work going on there now.

I really miss Henry's Pizza's, he did a gorgeous four cheeses that I always added pepperoni to, lovely with a glass of white wine.

Where is the new Library supposed to be going. Would it be the Post Office Field?

I think the work at the Maid of Erin Park is part of the river flooding project they were working on in Parnell St.

BLITZ_Molloy

Yes, there has been talk on and off about building the library on the post office field for several years now. I don't imagine it'd help the flooding situation much though. They should turn it into a park.

I'm not entirely mad on this new bridge. I think it's a bit big and bulky for such a small span. Something more delicate would have looked alot better.

BLITZ_Molloy

BLITZ_Molloy wrote: »

I'm not entirely mad on this new bridge. I think it's a bit big and bulky for such a small span. Something more delicate would have looked alot better.

Its a bit chunky allright...but i dont know if delicate is a word id want associated with a footbridge..

drunken_munky52

BLITZ_Molloy wrote: »

Yes, there has been talk on and off about building the library on the post office field for several years now. I don't imagine it'd help the flooding situation much though. They should turn it into a park.

I'm not entirely mad on this new bridge. I think it's a bit big and bulky for such a small span. Something more delicate would have looked alot better.

The bridge in sooooo Celtic tiger style, yuppie modern yoke, doesnt harmonise with the surrounding buildings at all, poor choice of design.

Then again its just another example of big headed architects trying to outdesign their rivals, none of them seem to want to go back to basics.

In regards to the post office field, I reckon it should be left the way it is. We are very lucky to have an unspolit patch lke that in the middle of town, with all the wildlife. I thing they will knock the old phone exchange beside the post office and build the small library there.

finbarrk

I haven't seen it yet but it sounds like a place for undesireables to hang out at night time.

Hawk Wing

complete waste of time if you ask me, what is the point exactly?

Clareman

I took a spin down by there this evening, reminded me of Thomand Park for some reason

drunken_munky52

Clareman wrote: »

I took a spin down by there this evening, reminded me of Thomand Park for some reason

Yeah thats right on the mark. What is this style of architecture called? Maybe we live in the "White Steel Age". It looks cool, but its actually rather cheap compared to other methods of buiding.

collgal

Yeah the style of the bridge isnt exactly something that blends in with its surroundings :rolleyes: but I think the idea of a bridge to the hostel site is a good one.
AND they have done a fantastic job on the hostel - its one of the best buildings in ennis now - and thats a good thing - considering its history.
I can forgive the bridge when the renovation of the hostel turned out so well.
Theres supposed to be a cafe opening on the hostel side of the river so maybe it'll make up for the loss of Henrys?!!! The manager of the hostel used to work for Henry. And he may have been responsible for the pizza recipe... ...:D

Clareman

I presume they are going to paint it something rather than white? Or is it part of the whole stone/metal interaction that seems to be covered in a lot of architecture courses/books.

I also presume that that style is 1 of the cheaper options, it can be precast in a mold and just transported to site on the back of a lorry rather than what I can only imagine would be a rather labourous (sp.) and costly desigh/engineering feat on site

ktc1

collgal wrote: »

The manager of the hostel used to work for Henry. And he may have been responsible for the pizza recipe... ...:D

A certain Italian chap of limited stature whose name escapes me? Quite a character, always good for a chat and a laugh. Glad to see he's back in town and doing well.

Thomond Park was the first thing I thought when I saw the bridge as well. It looks better looking at it downriver, say from the post office bridge. Looking at it side on it looks way too big and wide. I'm sure we'll get used to it in time.

What this town badly needs though is a decent childrens playground and a park. Lee's road is a great job but the centre of town needs more amenities. Are the pitches still used in the Fair Green. If people are using Lee's Road instead, you could make a fantastic park out of those three pitches.