Mayo town's population grows at three times the county average
Like many towns in Ireland, the housing crisis is having an impact on Ballyhaunis. Picture: John O'Grady
Ballyhaunis’ burgeoning population means action needs to be taken on a series of issues in the town.
Local councillor Alma Gallagher has highlighted dereliction and a lack of development of youth facilities as among the pressing areas of concern in the East Mayo town.
Ballyhaunis’ unique and diverse demographics have meant the town’s population has soared compared to other parts of the county. However, amenities and facilities have not kept pace with the rocketing population figures. For example, there is an urgent need to deal with the old scouts' den structure in the town.
“All you have to do is look at the building and you can see how dilapidated it is," said Cllr Gallagher. "It’s really not fit for purpose, there is asbestos in the roof as well. A structural report has recommended it be demolished. The site itself is in a key location beside the train station.
“We had over 47,000 passengers on the platform in Ballyhaunis train station last year, which was a record number. But the derelict scouts' den is the first impression and last impression of the town that you get. I know as a town that we can do a lot better. If Mayo County Council is serious about addressing the scourge of dereliction we need to move forward now and explore possibilities."
Cllr Gallagher said there is a dearth of youth facilities in the town and the former scouts' den could help address that deficit if redeveloped.
“Our town’s population is growing three times faster than the county average. We have a higher than average population under the age of 15 and we have a total lack of youth facilities,” said the Fine Gael councillor.
The housing crisis has increased pressure on towns like Ballyhaunis.
“We have a lot of our commercial properties being converted into residential and this is leading to a hollowing out of the town centre. We need as much Government assistance and support as possible to revitalise the town of Ballyhaunis. Thankfully we have started that process in the last few months where we have €5.5m for the old convent. That’s going to be a community enterprise for the town. We also have €165,000 for the retrofit of the courthouse for an art amenity. We have started that process but we have a lot of work to do in Ballyhaunis.
“In small towns like Ballyhaunis, we do want to increase the volume of housing, particularly one and two-bedroom properties, but we have to be mindful of maintaining the social fabric of the town and keep the commercial centre of our town as well. This is a very industrious town, but at the same time, we have very low wages and less disposable income than some other towns. That’s an additional challenge for us but we are a fantastic town which has been used as best practice for integration. Now we need the investment to match that,” said Cllr Gallagher.
