A week ago I came back to Nenagh after two months I spent on touring with my band in Poland. It is my second time in Nenagh and after 2 months I have just started to gather more information and reflections on this town and its citizens and also their own opinions about it. I have been searching the Internet for a while and I have found an interesting thread on boards.ie. Discussion conducted by Nenagh residents concerned positive and negative aspects of living in Nenagh, what is good and what is bad in the town and also policy of the local authorities. During reading the discussion forum I tired to determine my own reflections and opinion what is good and what is bad. Sometimes the same thing or place can be considered both as a good and bad.
Nenagh seems to be nice cozy town with spacious but not overwhelming main streets and the main junction. Buildings are nice, some of them reminds much bigger town, and others are typical for small Irish towns, both kinds fit excellent (in my opinion). Both Kenyon and Pearse Streets look much better with Christmas decoration, especially with the lamps hanged above them. Compared to Kenyon and Pearse streets, Banba Square seems to be not developed properly and the Garda station determines unofficial boundary of the town center. The same impression I got on Silver Street, that is more quite and narrow and it would be the perfect place for quite restaurants, caf??s and pubs. The same opinion has been expressed on boards.ie mentioned above.
In my emigrant’s opinion the thing that seems to be the biggest disadvantage of the town is very low quality of the Internet services. There are only 2 Internet caf??s. One on Kenyon street is mostly full of the children with no proper place for quiet work. There is only one Internet access socket for people with their own laptops in the front of the caf?? just close to the bar. Before I got my wireless access I tried to connect to the Internet via access socket in the Internet caf??, but without success. It was simply broken. The other one, not so far away, in the back of O’Connors shopping center, but almost always I tried to visit that place it was closed. The only available for public wireless access point is provided by computer shop on Mitchel’s Street for about 30 Eu per month, but unfortunately the coverage of it encompass only the front table in the pub on the opposite side of the street. I can’t understand why the town authorities haven’t made up their mind to introduce WiMax coverage on the Nenagh center or on entire town. It could be simple due to the compaction of the urban area. There is no need to have it for free, but I am sure that this service would find many of users willing to pay a monthly charge. Good example of town authorities’ attitude to the Internet and promotion of the town in it, is an official Nenagh web page (www.nenagh.ie) that looks rather outdated in its form and design. It doesn’t encourage potential tourist to visit the town, not to mention on the lack of web 2.0 idea, that would give to the residents opportunity to co-operate in the building its content and design. Nenagh Town Council website looks pretty old fashioned as well. The lack of information and links about Nenagh in Internet is clearly visible in Google ?Δο Nenagh Town official page takes 2nd place after… my blog’s entry (Polish version).
The second disadvantage is for sure the lack of good promotion of touristic values of the town, especially the castle and Franciscan’s Friary. The Castle seems to be pretty interesting with its tower and gate house, but both buildings seems to be shut down for good and renovation seems last forever. The castle with good touristic facilities and good promotion of the place (like tourist center, guides) would be a good reason to visit the town, and maybe the Reginald’s Tower in Waterford is more interesting but both structures are almost the same age and Nenagh Castle can be utilized in the same way. I must admit, that recently there have been some work in the castle vicinity.
Franciscan’s Friary is the 2nd problem linked with another disadvantage or dark side of the town. It lies at the end of Abbey Street, one of the dirties in the town. I am living just 2 houses down from the church ruin on that street. Almost everyday it is covered with liter left by the customers of O’Connors supermarket. Empty plastic bottles, flying pieces of cardboard boxes or plastic bags. It looks disgusting and what is the shame ?Δο it is almost strictly town center.
Some photos I took recently:
Nenagh Castle:
St Merry’s Church:
6 Responses to “Nenagh from Abbey Street perspective”