CLARE COUNTY Council is planning to demolish two of the best-known and most photographed buildings in Ennistymon to provide space for a roundabout to alleviate traffic congestion.
The two mid-19th century buildings, both protected structures, are located at one of the busiest junctions in the town, on streets that lead out to Lahinch, Ennis and Ballyvaughan.
Known as Blake’s Corner, the threatened buildings are on the N67 and N85 national secondary routes. Their proposed demolition is known to have the support of the National Roads Authority.
According to Tom Tiernan, senior engineer with the county council, the impact of tourism and “huge attractions” such as the Cliffs of Moher have caused “regular traffic back-ups” on approaches to the junction.
“It would be irresponsible of Clare County Council not to actively pursue resolution of the very significant traffic-flow problems created because of the layout of the junction,” he told The Irish Times.
Although the council was “conscious of the architectural sensitivity of these buildings”, there was “no feasible alternative [to demolition] if the necessary junction improvements are to be implemented”.
He conceded there was “nothing in the current Clare County Development Plan or the North Clare Area Plan” on which to ground the current proposal, as it was merely a “junction improvement plan”.
But before this could be done, Mr Tiernan said that the council would be consulting with the heritage division of the Department of the Environment, the Arts Council, the Heritage Council and An Taisce.
Other options would be “significantly more expensive”, including a plan to provide a 2km relief road south of the town costing “well in excess of €10 million”, and there was little prospect of securing such funding.
Denis Vaughan, spokesman for the Save Ennistymon Heritage group, said the bypass plan had been around “for at least 55 years” and its implementation would have relieved much of the annual tourist traffic.
He said the Blake’s and adjoining Linnane’s buildings, with their original shopfronts and thick Liscannor slate roofs, were “among the the most photographed in Ireland” and shown in countless guides.
“The council’s policies in Ennistymon are a disaster”, Mr Vaughan said. “In my humble opinion, Clare County Council propose to do more damage to Ennistymon than the Black and Tans did in 1920.”
The group has been running concerts to raise funds for its campaign to save Blakes Corner, featuring artists like Davy Spillane and Sonny Condell.
It is also collecting signatures for a public petition against the plan.
Last month, when he launched the Architectural Heritage of County Clare Guide, Minister for the Environment John Gormley said that the county’s heritage was “a major contributor to its unique identity and sense of place”.
Noting that its record of protected structures was “robust and comprehensive”, he said that pride was “the most powerful tool in ensuring conservation of Ireland’s national and local built heritage”.