Longford locals encouraged to attend meeting about possible playground plans
A proposed action group for new playground in Ballymahon calls public meeting
A group of Ballymahon based parents have joined together to set up an action group in Ballymahon to focus on relocating and redeveloping the playground in the town.
The current location is on the banks of the River Inny, behind the Inny Kayak Club building and its associated public car park.
However, according to the new Ballymahon committee, the local sewerage treatment plant to the rear of the playground emits very strong and unpleasant odours making the amenity very unattractive for local users and visitors alike. It is particularly bad during periods of warm weather. With the plant set to be expanded in the coming years, it is felt that it may present a good opportunity for the relocation of the playground.
The playground's slightly off-the main road location means it has also become an easy spot for anti-social behaviour to develop. Littering, vandalism and broken glass is a regular problem adding to the vast workload already carried by the local Community Employment Scheme and the Ballymahon Tidy Towns volunteers.
With a growing population in Ballymahon, the large numbers of children attending school in the town and the diverse needs represented, a state-of-the-art, inclusive and universally accessible playground is needed. The group is hoping that it can be sustainably sourced and that it will work with the natural landscape and terrain to promote healthy play, strength development and contained risk-taking within a tactile and sensory-friendly natural environment.
The group of local parents began having informal discussions in mid-2025 amongst themselves about the possibility of raising some match funding in order to make an application for the redevelopment of the playground.
The group currently includes Carla Naltchayan, Denise Keegan, Dani Kavanagh, Natasha Nally-Finn, Claire Delaney and Aine O'Rourke. Since their discussions started, they have also reached out to a number of local stakeholders and Longford County Council to better understand how, and who, to approach to address the problem and identify a new site.
An interim committee has been established in order to progress matters, but the committee would now like to invite everyone to come along to a public meeting to:
Share the research and feedback gathered
Election of officers: either ratify existing interim committee or elect new officers who are also interested
Discuss options for relocation and redevelopment
Outline funding streams to be considered
Gather further feedback and fundraising ideas
For queries, please email: newplaygroundballymahon@gmail.com