Fury as regenerative Enniscorthy project sees one part of town left in the cold – ‘Templeshannon has to go back on the list, end of story’

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Councillors in Enniscorthy fear they will be accused of “lying to get votes” after it was confirmed that a project to regenerate the Templeshannon part of town has been delayed once again. The project, which is part of the wider Town Centre First Plan for Enniscorthy, involves the “redevelopment, refurbishment and radical improvement” of public spaces in the area as well as improved “walking and cycling connections” between Templeshannon and the town centre, and a “substantial leisure and recreation hub”.

Split into three parts, the Town Centre First Plan also includes works in the Castle Quarter and Market Square parts of Enniscorthy and, at the March meeting of the municipal district, it was confirmed those two projects will be submitted for a €9m funding grant by May 1 while the Templeshannon scheme must wait another year at least.

Describing the delay as “unacceptable”, the usually mild-mannered Councillor Aidan Browne banged his fist against the table in frustration as he bemoaned this latest setback.

“We sat here in my first year as a councillor (2019) and everyone agreed that Templeshannon needed to be prioritised for funding, and we’re here again, seven years later, still waiting, it’s unacceptable,”

He was swiftly supported by Cllr Jackser Owens, who travelled even further back through the archives.

“Templeshannon is a priority for us, it has been since myself and Cllr John O’Rourke were on the town council and that was abolished in 2014,” he said. “My father was talking about this project when he was a councillor in the 1980s. Templeshannnon has to go back on this list, end of story. We have to answer to the people and they continually tell us there’s nothing being done on the far side of the river.”

Prior to the local elections in 2024 councillors informed those living in Templeshannon that works would be done in their area as a matter of urgency. Those promises now appeared to have evaporated.

“We’re constantly saying Templeshannon needs to be regenerated,” said Cllr O’Rourke. “But we’re not doing anything, plans for the area are being shelved over and over again. Those living there say ‘we’re the forgotten people, you don’t want to do anything for us’. We told them funding was coming for the regeneration of their area and now we have to go back and tell them the money isn’t there, they think we’re lying to them to get votes.”

Worse than that is the sense that Enniscorthy is becoming a divided town, an urban centre segregated between the haves and the have nots.

“We have to be doing something for that area; the Slaney River shouldn’t be considered a divide in Enniscorthy,” said Cathaoirleach Barbara Anne Murphy. “We should be looking after both sides, no one is better than the other. It’s one town and it should be treated as such.”

However, Sean Meyler of Wexford County Council’s (WCC) special projects team dismissed the notion that Templeshannon was being unfairly ignored and explained that the three projects had been sequenced to ensure the full pot of grant money is secured for those “shovel ready”.

“We’ve been very upfront in explaining that Templeshannon is behind the other two projects from a planning perspective, that can’t come as any surprise here today,” he said. “We have to submit projects that are shovel ready and can start by September 2027, and they must be considered transformative or they won’t receive funding (from central government).

“The reality is we don’t have planning consent for any projects in Templeshannon which we would consider transformative. Therefore if we submit those for funding they may not be approved. I don’t want anyone to interpret that as meaning Templeshannon isn’t important, but it requires consent from the national planning authority, the other two do not.

"The application deadline for funding is May 1 and we have to ensure we get all of that €9m in funding.”

But Cllr Browne was not for turning.

“I was the chair of this council at the time these plans were presented and I was specifically told the three would be done in tandem,” he said as he grew ever more animated. “We said at the time that the town centre is from Bellefield to Treacy’s Hotel, it’s not just the Market Square. I understand the other projects are easier to progress, but we asked that Templeshannon be made a priority from the outset.”

With Cllr Murphy calling upon her support, director of services Carolyne Godkin said the biggest challenge for the special projects team is identifying what constitutes a ‘transformative’ project. “We do have a plan for Templeshannon, but we’re focusing on being ready for the May 1 deadline. We have to put forward these plans to a group of people who will make decisions on whether to approve our projects or those from other parts of the county.

“The job we have is to try and secure as much funding as possible within the confines we operate under, that’s the difficulty we’re facing. We have to match these projects to the funding schemes available.”

Dismissive of the suggestion that the eligible projects had to be in order by the May 1 deadline, Cllr Browne reminded Ms Godkin that the special projects team had “six years to figure this out”.

That may have spelled the end of this heated debate were it not for a further blow to the district with the news that no funding application has yet been made for the new town park in Bunclody.

“So this has already been decided?” asked an aggrieved Cllr Murphy. “This shows how far we’re being left behind. We can’t be the pussycats any more, we’re going to have to be the lions.”

“Once you go beyond Ferrycarrig you may as well be entering a twilight zone,” agreed Cllr O’Rourke.

Once more Ms Godkin was forced onto the defensive.

“There are so many funding schemes going around at the moment, and we have to match our projects accordingly, it sounds like we’re not progressing Bunclody but we are,” she said.

“We’re not," countered Cllr Murphy. “We are the six councillors who knock on doors and ask people to put their faith in us, but when the decisions are made at executive level it leaves us asking ‘why do we bother?’”

At this juncture, with tempers rising and no middle ground to be found, the inevitable shouting match broke out. Chief shouter was Cllr Owens who stressed that all he wanted was to “be treated with respect here”.

“No one is saying you’re not respected,” answered Ms Godkin.

“We’re being told what to do,” came the reply.

“We’re trying to maximise opportunities for Enniscorthy,” continued Ms Godkin. “I guarantee you haven’t even read the scheme criteria in terms of what they’re asking us to do. We have to get this right this time.”

An unintelligible bout of back and forth ensued before the cathaoirleach called for order and the hubbub finally dispersed.

“Shouting at staff is the height of disrespect,” said Ms Godkin as wounds were quietly licked.

“I’m not apologising, I don’t care,” replied an unrepentant Cllr Owens.