Tholsel granted €300,000 for Restoration- Cllr. Callan

Tholsel granted €300,000 for restoration- Callan

Deputy Mayor welcomes the first steps in attracting tourism

Deputy Mayor of Drogheda, Kevin Callan has said that he is delighted that the Tholsel has been granted €300,000 from the councils capital works programme to be spent in 2010. At the recent council meeting the figure was announced along with a further investment in tourism of €50,000 into tourism signage for the Drogheda area.

Cllr. Callan first raised the possibility of opening the building as a tourist office and a venue for council meetings at the monthly meeting in October, 2009. Since October the building has continued to deteriorate and the Deputy Mayor is extremely anxious that progress is made before the tourist season.

Speaking at the Council meeting, the County Manager stated that he had been in talks with Failte Ireland about the possibility of the building being opened as a tourist office and that these talks included the possibility of the building being the first stop in the Boyne Valley trail.

The Tholsel is a huge asset to our town, it is a piece of our history that can help our towns future. It is obvious that this building can help regenerate the centre of the town and boost tourist numbers if opened as our tourist office. With the summer season approaching, we stand to gain a great deal by having this gem of our towns architectural stock opened to visiting tourists and local people who have an interest in the towns history.

Cllr. Callan asked the Town Clerk, Ms. Joan Martin if it would be possible to have the ground floor level opened during the upcoming tourist season and Ms. Martin stated that the councils aim was to get the building opened as soon as possible. The meeting was informed that the councils engineers had already been inspecting the building.

“Last October when I raised this issue at council, it received huge support from all of my fellow councillors and I am very grateful to our officials are taking all the steps necessary to have this building opened as soon as possible.

The Tholsel and Mayoralty House are two Georgian buildings of huge local and architectural significance built between 1765 and 1770 and were designed by George and Hugh Darley.

According to Cllr. Callan, In recent times the Tholsel building has started to look run down and there has been damage done to one ground floor window. This building is very important in town and stands on the site of the original wooden Tholsel that stood on this site before 1770. Every year that it is not tended to causes the possible costs of repair to increase so it is in everybody’s interests that we breathe life into it as soon as possible and to throw open the doors to everybody, especially in these extremely difficult times for all local people.

Fairegreen Works Budget of €130,000 Welcomed- Cllr. Callan

Fairgreen Works Budget of €130,000 Welcomed- Cllr. Callan

Back in November, Cllr Callan raised the issue of the poor state of the roads at the Fairgreen and the level of discontent amongst customers, employees and businesses on the Fairgreen as the area continued to suffer from lack of maintenance on the part of Drogheda Borough Council. The area however has been granted funds to have the roads resurfaced and remarked at the recent meeting of Drogheda Borough Council.

Deputy Mayor, Kevin Callan who met with traders of the area in November and has been working with officials to see that the necessary works carried out has said that this capital works funding is great news and will really assist the Fairgreen as a business community.

I met with local business owners on the Fairgreen after receiving complaints back in 2009 and met with the Borough Engineer and other members of the councils staff to go through the issues that were causing problems for local businesses, customers and the public and to see what actions could be taken.

“There is a very real problem along the Fairgreen, there are three groups of people who are being affected, local customers, local employees and local businesses. The area which is right at the centre of the town is suffering from dreadful neglect and actions are needed immediately to make the area safe and usable as it currently is an absolute mess. The road surface is unsafe for loading or unloading of goods by forklift, there are no road markings, extremely poor street lighting and cars are parking two and three deep.

According to Cllr. Callan, the €130,000 that has been granted is absolutely necessary.

“I am aware of several car crashes, a bus recently could not turn down onto Trinity Street without hitting off a corner wall. We need a plan for the area which employs over seventy local people and which is home to local businesses.

“Deliveries to the area are impossible anytime after 8am and before 7pm. Many people who park in the area find that when they return to their cars, they have been blocked from leaving by other cars that are simply abandoned all over the area. Staff cannot leave to go home in the evenings and this is not acceptable. The access points along Trinity Street and Georges Street have to be reviewed in the interests of health and safety as well. I will be in touch with the Gardai in relation to this matter as we need to get moving to make the area more customer friendly and to assist those who’s jobs depend on the provision of adequate parking and street lighting on the Green.

Cllr. Callan also said that he will be asking the officials to look at the issue of anti social behaviour in the area as well as the steps to Trinity Gardens continue to experience problems.

It is in everyone’s best interests that the Fairgreen receive attention immediately. I am delighted that adequate funds have been allocated for 2010 to get these works are carried out.

Deputy Mayor condemns senseless attack on seven men in Drogheda

Cllr. Callan has condemned the senseless attack last night in the town centre where seven young men were stabbed and is thinking of those in hospital following the incident.

Shannonside radio: Calls for Roscommon to follow Drogheda Head-shop owner's lead

The Roscommon anti-head shop campaigners are to put pressure on the landlord of the High Times store in the County Town to see if he will seek an injunction against the products being sold in it.It follows a decision by a Judge at Drogheda District Court, who this week instructed a Head Shop in the town to stop selling legal highs.Meanwhile Experts are warning that a new highly dangerous drug may be about to hit Britain.At a court sitting in Drogheda this week Justice Matt Deery placed an injunction on the premises and told the operator of the shop to revert to its original fancy dress costumes and party goods business.The action was brought by the landlord of the building who said the use of the premises as a head shop was directly affecting his ability to get his insurance which is in breach of his tenancy agreement. He also said he took the action after he realised the shop had been converted and following recent arson attacks on such stores in Dublin.Its understood the injunction is the first of its type and shows there is now an avenue for owners to stop these activities on their premises.Speaking to Shannonside News this morning the Roscommon campaigners say while they are not fully awarde of the tenacy agreement for the High Times store, they will be pursuing this issue with the Landlord.Meanwhile Experts are warning a new highly dangerous drug - NRG-1 may be about to hit Britain.The drug is thought to be even more deadly than Mephedrone - the legal high which is about to be banned and is reportedly even stronger than cocaine, more addictive than heroin and costs just 25 pence per hit.

LMFM Podcast about Head Shops

LMFM PODCASTS

The Michael Reade Show
The Michael Reade Programme Thursday April 8th 2010
Today: Head Shops. Michael meets Mangor Dise in the Samsara Herbal Shop. Mangor's been working in the shop since it opened two weeks ago but arrived yesterday to discover the shop broken into and the 'legal high' products stolen. Mangor tells Michael he finds the legal highs to be less potent than street drugs and that because the proprietor leased the premises on the basis that it would be a Head Shop, he expects they'll operate in Drogheda for many years. The town's Deputy Mayor says however, these drugs are ruining lives. Kevin Callan has been successful in convincing landlords to revoke the leases of two of these shops recently and he tells Michael this shop won't reopen and another shop, Purple Haze, will close its doors today. Dermot Jewell of the Consumers Association explains his concerns as petrol prices soar. Fine Gael TD, Shane McEntee, wants to establish if pyrite has been used constructing the M3 and if the taxpayer will foot the bill should it prove problematic. The ASTI explains why the proposal on public sector pay and reform should be rejected. And local councillors Ray Butler & Brian Curran pay tribute to the former Mayor of Trim, Danny O'Brien, who passed away suddenly last night. As usual, there's much comment and reaction from the phones and text messages, an integral part of the programme.

Two more Head Shops Close in Drogheda- Cllr. Kevin Callan

Two More Head Shops Close- Cllr. Callan

Deputy Mayor- We must keep Head Shops out of our Town.

Deputy Mayor, Kevin Callan who has been working with owners and landlords to ensure that the activities of head shops cease in the town has said that the owners have made a huge difference to the town and our young peoples safety by taking these steps in closing two more head shops.

Cllr Callan said that Drogheda has seen a huge number of shops spring up in recent times in the town and that the town is unique in having the shops close in such a short period of time.

“I am very grateful to the owners of the latest shops that closed for working constructively with me. Purple Haze on the Quays and Samara at Peter Street have ceased trading. This town and the business community are leading the way in having these shops close down. I am also grateful to all the owners who have been proactive in removing tenants who chose to sell dangerous substances to our young people. To date property owners have taken this course of action in Drogheda, the direct result of these actions is that the possibility of young people accessing the substances has been seriously reduced”.

Cllr. Callan has thanked the Chamber of Commerce for its assistance in notifying its members of the need to exercise caution when leasing commercial properties in the town to people who may be seeking to operate as head shops.

“We have seen a number of shops close, these tenants will be looking for new premises in the town and we need to make sure that they are not allowed to fool any letting agents or owners of properties, to date members of the business community have behaved in a very decent and cooperative manner in stopping this activity and this needs to be recognised.

On the 5th May at 8pm in the Westcourt Hotel, The Drogheda Community Drugs and Alcohol Forum will be holding a Head Shop Illegal High Information evening with Dr. Des Corrigan, Head of Pharmacy at Trinity College and Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee of Drugs and with qualified counsellors in the area of assisting parents in drug proofing children.

“I think this evening will be of great help to parents and all people working with children and will be worth attending as there will be question and answer sessions and information documents. There are many different substances, side affects and dangers and these will all be discussed at the meeting.

Defence Forces should be deployed in Louth and Drogheda

Defence Forces should be deployed in County Louth

Deputy Mayor of Drogheda, Councillor Kevin Calln has called for the Defence Forces to be deployed in County Louth as part of a centrally co-ordinated National Emergency Plan.

Cllr. Callan has said that this is vital to help local authority staff to deal with the current weather crisis and must be implemented as a matter of urgency, and Defence Forces personnel and transport mobilised immediately to provide critical assistance to local authorities and address existing manpower shortages”.

“Road conditions across the county of Louth and Meath are getting worse, and many public transport routes suspended. With conditions set to worsen over the next few days, The County and the North East should be placed on an emergency footing.

“The Government must immediately:
• Mobilise the Defence Forces to provide manpower for Louth Local Authorities in gritting and clearing roads. In particular, military transport should be used to move people and supplies where required, particularly in mountainous areas;
• Implement a National Emergency Plan with the Office of Emergency Planning co-ordinating all relief efforts;
• The communications facility located in Agriculture House in Dublin, designed specifically for emergencies such as this, should be manned on a 24/7 basis so that all stakeholders, Government departments, State agencies, local authorities, the Gardaí, Defence Forces, Civil Defence and others, can channel information through a single location;
• Informed decisions can then be made and action taken at specific locations around the country.

“Our Local authorities are clearly trying but are unable to cope. Our towns and villages are being crippled by snow and ice, the economy is grinding to a halt, and many schools will be unable to open tomorrow. Yet the Government’s only response has been a deafening silence and the country is coming to a standstill. Without direct intervention and leadership the consequences will be grave indeed.”