Wexford’s contentious Oyster Lane Plaza continues to be a source of frustration

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

With Wexford County Council (WCC) admitting it is restricted in what it can do with the Oyster Lane plaza due to ownership issues, it has been suggested that the third-party who owns part of the site donate it to the council.

Used to great effect during Wexford’s hosting of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2024 and 2025, the plaza area between Oyster Lane and the Crescent Quay has now become synonymous with day-time drinking and anti-social behaviour, much to the annoyance of local councillors.

At the monthly meeting of the Wexford Borough District those councillors once more asked when this area was going to be utilised for the good of the town.

“It’s an important space, is this what we want for it? Just to be a place for people to hang around?” asked Councillor Tom Forde in reference to the day-time drinking. “Given its location it should be utilised for something better, I know we’ve had plenty of conversations around this in terms of markets, a car park, a performance space – but we need a plan for it now.

“I believe there’s seven years left on the lease, what happens after that, will we be renewing it?”

Cllr Leonard Kelly was also opposed to the actions of those who have commandered the area for their own purposes.

“It’s baffling to me, that after two years of asking, we still have no notion what we’re doing with it,” he said. “The perception is now that it’s just a place to go day-time drinking. I’m not one for conspiracies, but why did we knock a historic theatre to use a space for two weeks during two Fleadhs?”

Director of services Alan Quirke said WCC recognised the “space’s importance and the concerns councillors have around it”, but added that it was incredibly difficult to develop any facilities on the site at the present moment.

“Anything we propose cannot impact the long-term development of the site, that’s the major hurdle we have,” he said. “We don’t want to put something in there that’s never used and, irrespective of what we put in, it’s going to cost a certain amount of money.

"The lease is until 2031 as a car park and, after that, the owner then has the right to terminate the contract. But we can talk to the owner and see what their plans are for it.”

“The fact these conversations haven’t happened already is extremely frustrating,” noted Cllr Kelly.

In advance of those conversations, Cllr Catherine Biddy Walsh had a novel suggestion.

“If we are going to speak with the owner could we ask him to give it to us?” she asked. “Would they be civic-minded enough to give it to us?”

Determined not to allow this issue to disappear from the agenda, Cllr Tom Forde submitted a motion which was subsequently carried. It read: “I ask that this council utilise the space available at the old Tesco and Dun Mhuire sites and that a report be brought to the next meeting of this council on these sites.

"I ask that such a report includes the money invested to date and to outline what options for use of the leased and council-owned sites are actively being considered/planned for in the short and long-term.”