One of Kilkenny’s main tourist attractions and focal points - the Parade - has been re-opened after 18 months after the majority of refurbishment works were concluded on Wednesday evening.
Director of services at Kilkenny County Council and project manager at the local authority, John Mulholland told the Kilkenny Advertiser yesterday that he was satisfied that the project was finished to a high standard and the project was ‘substantially completed’ by the end of September deadline.
Traffic has resumed in both directions in the area and the traffic congestion that was being experienced on the Bennettsbridge road and on the Parade itself has now been restored to normal.
Mr Mulholland said that ‘the heavy work is completed, however, the contractors are still on site dealing with snagging and also with the installation of the strip lighting for the ground on footpaths which is due to be in place within the next four weeks.’
Plans are due to be made in the not-too-distant future for an official opening however Mr Mulholland did not reveal what those plans might include.
“We will have to have discussions with both the mayor Malcolm Noonan and the members of the council to see what agreement we can come to on the style of opening that we should go with for this project,” he said.
There are many plans in the pipeline as regards how the new space should be used in the future and the council is open to ideas from the public.
“We want to get the best possible use out of this space and we are open to ideas. We would like to see the space being used as a focal point in the city and we have ideas about having art and craft markets there in the future. I would also hope that local groups might use the space for outdoor performances. It could almost be like a moveable theatre space or a venue for exhibitions. There are lots of ideas out there but nothing set in stone yet,” he said.
Mr Mulholland was also not revealing whether or not the council had any plans for a monument to honour the county’s reputation for excellence in hurling.
“There are no plans at present for a monument or a sculpture on the Parade but we are open to people’s ideas. It is a good modern space that has huge potential for a variety of uses. What we decide to use it for is the next challenge for us. But I am very happy that we have come this far with the project and I am happy with the end result to date while bearing in mind there are a number of smaller snags to be completed before the contractors leave the site.”
There is also to be a kiosk located on the Parade where a caretaker will be based to monitor the area and keep the place clean and tidy.
“The process for recruiting this person is currently underway. We hope that this person, along with keeping the area clean and removing stains, that they will also be able to help visitors with enquiries etc,” said Mr Mulholland.
Businesses in the area are also happy to have the street return to normal after suffering 18 months of strain on their custom as a result of the on-going works.
