A Laois market town is one of those featured in a new architectural project focusing on the problems and future prospects of Ireland’s rural market towns.
Mountmellick is one of ten Irish market towns to be studied for the project.
It is Ireland’s entry into Venice Architecture Biennale.
The Venice Architecture Biennale was established in 1980 and is the foremost global forum for Architectural exhibition and debate. It runs every second year and attracts over 260,000 visitors during the six month long event, as well as widespread international media coverage.
It is described as the most significant point of reference for the world of architecture.
The group studied 10 Irish market towns, with either a market square or a central public market building. They are: Castleblayney, Ballyshannon, Ballinrobe, Athenry, Templemore, Macroom, Kilrush, Kilmallock, Bunclody, and Mountmellick.
Miriam Delaney, who is one of the team was quoted in the Irish Independent property supplement: “We spent time over six months in all of the towns, talking to everyone we could about what it’s like to live and work there, to find out what works and what doesn’t. In some cases we went into every single business and shop to ask our questions.
“Some towns have extraordinary traffic problems, some don’t. Some have turned their market squares into vast car parks. In some, the schools have moved out of town and there are out of town stores which have hurt main street businesses. In many we see the ‘doughnut effect’ whereby the living population has also moved out of town and fewer are living in the main street homes or above the shops.
Destruction
“We learn how the destruction of urban district councils has taken away local voices on the ground, how the involvement of many state agencies, from heritage to local authority, are tripping each other up and how “annual spend” driven budget systems provide lots of flowery roundabouts but prevent bigger longer term rejuvenation projects taking place,” she said
“Among the solutions suggested are using the extensive backlot garden and yard spaces behind the main streets to resolve parking, the need to stop the moving of schools and to re-engineer big empty formal public buildings like town halls and markets into lively self-employed business hubs.
“We learn how Lidl, Aldi and Tesco can be in town rather than out of it. We see why we should extend the living over the shop incentives to towns, to cater for new demand for smaller homes in the rental crisis and get people living in town centres again,” Ms Delaney said.
‘Free Market’ runs until November in Venice and then comes home to tour the towns it studies. But the shows will be held in accessible public spaces, at festivals and fairs.
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