Ballinrobe; Historic town or Dilapidated hole?

pappyodaniel

I drove through Ballinrobe yesterday on my way back from a wedding in Westport. Whilst no offence is intended in this thread, I just have to ask, what is going on in Ballinrobe?

I mean the buildings in the town are in such a dilapidated state and in need of much repair. It looked as if the Celtic Tiger boom didn't get as far as Ballinrobe until I saw a closed-down Polish clothes shop on one of the main streets.

Gort always came no.1 in my 'Most depressing Irish towns' list...but step forward Ballinrobe, you are now in pole position!

happyoutscan

pappyodaniel wrote: »

I drove through Ballinrobe yesterday on my way back from a wedding in Westport. Whilst no offence is intended in this thread, I just have to ask, what is going on in Ballinrobe?

I mean the buildings in the town are in such a dilapidated state and in need of much repair. It looked as if the Celtic Tiger boom didn't get as far as Ballinrobe until I saw a closed-down Polish clothes shop on one of the main streets.

Gort always came no.1 in my 'Most depressing Irish towns' list...but step forward Ballinrobe, you are now in pole position!

It has gone downhill in the last couple years alright but I wouldn't consider it half as depressing as Gort yet! No offense to Gort or any other depressing town but Ballinrobe does have the racecourse, the lakes and the bowers walk but what it does need desperately is a bypass, only then can the town revive itself.

Takk

Another recent thread on the same topic: Empty Buildings in Ballinrobe

Buildings are going to remain in a dilapidated state and in need of repair until it's worth someone's while to do them up.

And as it is, there are plenty of new units that have been built in the town in the last 10 years that have been empty since day one. So the older buildings that haven't been developed, stay undeveloped, as there just isn't any demand for them.

Oldtree

While the bypass will solve the traffic situation, I don't think it will do anything for the look of the town. In fact the bypass will probably kill off some of the passing trade for some of the shops.

I dont have a solution as to how to attract more people to live here to boost the economy, other than permenant job creation, and thats very unlikely.

Avns1s

The general concensus if that a by-pass will aid trade rather than kill it as those who want to shop can do so more easily. That would be the feedback from other towns anyway.

Ballinrobe is like a lot of other small towns in Ireland, it is fecked by the large towns and the multiples in terms of its retail trade. Ballinrobe, IMO has a double whammy in that it has Castlebar on one side and Galway on the other. There is a huge pull of retail expenditure in each direction.

What is needed is a more level playing pitch, for expample, those setting figures fo business rates recognise that a business in a small rural town wont do the trade of a similar business in a large urban centre and reflect this in the rates, development levies and so on.

On the other side, there is an onus on each community to support its business sector as this sector generally supports them through service on one hand and through sponsorship of voluntary/sporting organisations. These points are forgotten. I would also say that may of the retail businesses in the rural towns need to up their game, through service, value for money, even cleanliness in some cases.

I could go on and on but you get the drift. The solution to the problem is complex and multifaceted and needs major policy changes and attitudinal changes. So far, no-one has had the balls to take on the policy side.

whadabouchasir

Is there really no pharmacy in Ballinrobe?One of my mates told me this and I didn't really believe him.

happyoutscan

As far as I know there have been a number of planning applications (hotels primarily) that have been turned down over the years, primarily because of the traffic problems the town experiences. Some decent hotels would allow people to stay in Ballinrobe during the race meetings as well as boosting the natural amenities of the area. This in turn could put a bit of life back into the town and from there more business opportunities in the town/area etc. Wishful thinking though, can't see the bypass going ahead in the immediate future even though the new route has been selected. Tis a shame, could be a great town but as is it is dying a death.

bucks777

work as a rep and had to call to tesco in ballinrobe...for the life of me cannot understand how tesco ireland decided to build a store in this town...not only is it a dive but also looks quite small,plus there is a tesco in claremorris,around 20 mins up the road!!

Takk

whadabouchasir wrote: »

Is there really no pharmacy in Ballinrobe?One of my mates told me this and I didn't really believe him.

There are three.

nuac

Ballinrobe has a very large hinterland which sustained it as a retail centre down to recent times. Now losing some of that hinterland to stronger shopping attractions in adjoining towns - Galway, Castlebar, Claremorris, Westport.

Apart from Western Pride and McHales hasn't attracted much industrial employment.

On a positive note they have retained their racecourse and number of meetings there, and have a very good golfcourse. Many good progressive people on their committee's.

There are possibilities for tourism development based on above and on Lough Mask. While tourism is also affected by the current depression, it will recover.

On a further positive note, a lot of houses have been built in Ballinrobe in recent years. Prices may have to come down to get them all occupied, but that availability will sustain the population.

Town has more commercial space than it needs = again reducing rents will ensure eventual occupation.

Tesco's expansion into so many towns worthy of some critical examination - effects on local trade and on local suppliers.

Cosmo Kramer

I could be talking complete rubbish here but I've always thought that Ballinrobe town centre was far too big for the overall population of the town. Most Irish towns with 1,500 to 2,000 people in them have just one street or two streets that meet at a central focal point (Swinford, Ballyhaunis, Kiltimagh etc). But Balliinrobe just seems to go on for ages in terms of streets, and then as soon as you leave them you're straight into the countryside.

I think that the reason for there being so many delapidated buildings (and there are loads, the last street before you leave for Castlebar is a complete disaster zone) is because the town centre is just too big to find uses for them all.

benralph

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

I could be talking complete rubbish here but I've always thought that Ballinrobe town centre was far too big for the overall population of the town. Most Irish towns with 1,500 to 2,000 people in them have just one street or two streets that meet at a central focal point (Swinford, Ballyhaunis, Kiltimagh etc). But Balliinrobe just seems to go on for ages in terms of streets, and then as soon as you leave them you're straight into the countryside.

I think that the reason for there being so many delapidated buildings (and there are loads, the last street before you leave for Castlebar is a complete disaster zone) is because the town centre is just too big to find uses for them all.

I agree Cosmo Kramer, i always thought the same about Ballinrobe, has alot of streets for a town with a smallish population! Could be a lovely town imo if the dilapidated buildings were done up and the towns streetscape modernised like they did in Claremorris a few years back! And also there are towns still to this day after all the roadbuilding in recent years which have not being bypassed yet, towns with far heavier traffic than Ballinrobe, so i dont think the traffic can be used as an excuse for the town's dilapidateness!? (if thats even a word)