Kilrush Town Council Opens The Door To A Brighter Future

Kilrush Town Council today opened a showhouse at Willow Green, a housing scheme that forms part of a major redesign and refurbishment of the John Paul Estate.

The showhouse will be open for viewings until 14th March, Monday-Saturday (11am to 1pm) and Sunday 9th (2-4pm). Local authority staff will be on hand to greet visitors and answer any questions.

The Pilot Phase of the John Paul Estate Remedial Works Scheme, which covers almost one quarter of the entire estate, includes the infill development of seven new houses and refurbishment of a dozen housing existing homes at Willow Green. An attractive courtyard area, with a landscaped area at its centre has also been created following the demolition of a block of vacant housing.

Mayor of Kilrush Cllr Tom Clyne, who is a community worker in the John Paul Estate, welcomed the completion of the Willow Green phase of the regeneration project.

He continued, "The high standards of each house and the revised layout will add to the overall quality of life for its inhabitants. Furthermore, the elimination of back lanes and derelict open spaces has been a huge part of the overall plan and should encourage everyone to visit the showhouse and see what has been achieved."

Ms. Yvonne Roughan, Project Manager, praised residents of the John Paul Estate for the co-operation and goodwill demonstrated throughout the works. She expressed delight that people would now be returning to a much-improved environment, which included a new central amenity landscaped area and secure and private back gardens.

"The showhouse has been furnished by local businesses, as a demonstration of the goodwill of the business community towards the strategic regeneration programme. The showhouse is also an opportunity for everyone to see the high quality finish that has been achieved in the project so far by the contractor, Martin Fitzgibbon Builders", added Ms. Roughan.

Fiona Mooney, Kilrush Town Clerk, said that the work carried out on Willow Green was evidence of the strong sense of community spirit that existed in Kilrush.

"This long term regeneration project is about more than the individual houses, it is about people taking pride in their area and standing up for the positives in the community", she explained.

Ms. Mooney stated, "The collaborative approach adopted in redeveloping the estate is founded on the passion and commitment of the local community, combined with the administrative and professional support of Kilrush Town Council and other agencies, as well as funding from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government."

She said that everyone was welcome to visit the showhouse and thanked the local businesses, Home Furniture Stores Ltd, George Brew & Co. Ltd., K & A TV and Electrical, O’Halloran & Griffin, G B Electrical and M. Gleeson, and the staff in the Town Hall who had provided the furniture and accessories on loan for the house.

Ms. Bernadette Kinsella, Kilrush Town Manager, stressed the commitment of Kilrush Town Council to continue to work on a multi-agency basis towards the goal of achieving regeneration within the local community.

-ENDS-

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