Plan to revitalise Laois town includes trail head to Portlaoise and Slieve Blooms

The historic Laois town of Mountmellick is all set to get a rejuvenated town centre over the coming years.

A new plan has been unveiled with 28 project including turning its preserved train station into a trail head for a cycleway to the Slieve Bloom Mountains and a greenway to Portlaoise.

The Mountmellick Town Centre First Plan will be used by Laois County Council as leverage to get funding, with a similar plan for Rathdowney having brought in €460,000 to that town within two years.

It was launched to a packed audience of local people in Mountmellick Library on Tuesday evening, November 18.

The launch came just days after Mountmellick was hit by another flood, causing great concern and fear to residents.

While the plan has no power to speed up the town's long awaited flood defences and even longer awaited N80 relief road, it can be used to revitalise the town centre to make it a nicer place to shop, do business, visit and live in.

It was developed over the past year by SLR Consulting, hired by Laois County Council. They worked hand in hand with a team of local people, and based their ideas on local views gathered through consultations, information evenings, surveys and workshops.

Fran Baker, chair of Mountmellick Town Team spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live at the launch.

Angela McEvoy, Laois County Council Director of Services: Planning, Regeneration and Economic Development; Fran Baker, Chairperson Mountmellick Town Team; Cathaoirleach Cllr Barry Walsh and Deputy Brian Stanley TD at the launch of the Mountmellick Town centre First Plan in Mountmellick Library. Picture: Jeff Harvey

"I am glad it's got to this stage, we had a very high level of engagement from the community tonight, and it's great to see elected officials here as well, and the CEO of Laois County Council. I think most people are happy with the plans but it's not a finished document, we welcome more input, it will be continually tweaked if people think something is not working," he said.

Laois County Council CEO Michael Rainey told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that he is delighted that the plan has launched.

"I'm delighted to see the strong community engagement that led to this, and the drive and coordination of the town team. I look forward to seeing its implementation. The department won't fund any town that doesn't have a plan. This is opening the door," he said.

What's in the plan?

Jerry Savage, Padraig O’Toole and Doug Mortimer at the launch of the Mountmellick Town centre First Plan in Mountmellick Library. Picture: Jeff Harvey

Six projects are prioritised and 28 listed, with a 120 page book produced and large posters showing the community what is planned.

Number one is the redesign of O'Connell Square. iIt includes moving the bus stop and pedestrian crossing to the school entrance. Adding seating and a plaza, new signage, new trees, rain gardens, and a space kept in the centre for a Christmas tree. A new walking route is earmarked from Notions Café to the MDA.

Second is the Smiths Field amenity, adding natural play areas and woodland clusters, a bike trail, seating and signage, complimenting the new path and a proposed astropitch coming to the field by Mountmellick United FC.

Third are public realm improvements and connective walks. The plan notes that the town is "cluttered by signage" with cars parking on footpaths, uneven surfaces and a need to upgrade seating.  It suggest a town wide survey to consider one-way streets, more accessible parking bays, removing overhead cables, while preserving historical structures.

Fourth on the priority list is to open up a joined river walk right through Mountmellick from Smiths field to Manor Road,  retaining stone walls, adding seats, signs, and widening paths where necessary.

Fifth is to revitalise the town centre, with tips to deal with vacant and derelict properties like window dressing, paint, pop up shops and social housing to take over empty homes. The plan found that there are 86 vacant properties in the town centre, and 67 of them are houses. There are  four listed derelict houses and one derelict commercial property - the old central garage planned to become Lidl. 

The plan notes 'opportunity sites' that could hold carparks or homes, like the back of the community school, back of Tirlán, Whites building on Lord Edward Street and No 3 the Square which is planned to become a guesthouse and restaurant.

Finally priority six is a trail head to the Slieve Bloom Mountains, converting the preserved train station into a café and museum, with a cycle route to Portlaoise, and to Rosenallis, and possibly a campervan park.

Image of a potential trailhead at Mountmellick train station.

Local reaction - 

Colette Dunne gave her reaction to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"I sent in loads of ideas myself, such as where buses could stop at the secondary school. You have to have a plan in front of you to agree or disagree, it took two years to draw up, at least we're ahead, everyone can look at it and alter it," she said.

Kitty Creighton from Mountmellick Tidy Towns is on the team.

"All I've seen so far is good, I hope they put it into action, they were very quick working on it, not like the flood scheme," she said.

Collette Wrafter, Sheelagh Coyle and Colette Dunne at the launch of the Mountmellick Town centre First Plan in Mountmellick Library. Picture: Jeff Harvey

Cllr Paddy Bracken from Mountmellick Borris-in-Ossory Municipal District said he is "delighted the plan is at this stage".

"I hope it's a good plan, and we are working on the basis that we can seek funding now. Well done to the town team, a lot of work went into it, and it has huge local interest," he said.

Cllr Paddy Buggy is chair of the MDA in the town and also on the town team.

"This is a combination of the council and local people wanting to make this happen. We will drive it on now. Mountmellick will be the better for it in the next few years. It's a credit to everyone involved," he said.

Read also: Who are the Unsung Heros nominees in the 2025 Laois Community and Voluntary Awards this Friday? 

Laois County Council’s Cathaoirleach Cllr Barry Walsh, Director of Services for Planning, Regeneration & Economic Development Angela McEvoy as well as Chair of the Mountmellick Town Team Fran Baker all spoke on the night. Also present were Brian Stanley TD, SLR Consulting who assisted with the TCF plan and members of the Government’s Town Centre First Office.