New car park for Enniscorthy town centre

By Dan Walsh at Enniscorthy Municipal District Council meeting

Work on the 37 car parking spaces at Enniscorthy’s newest set down space, nostalgically named Murphy Floods Car Park, is nearing a conclusion and the first paying vehicles should be using the Barrack Street entrance in about two weeks!

Engineer Neville Shaw gave an update on the revised car park facilities linking up with Market Square via a steep set of steps at last Tuesday’s monthly meeting of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council held in the Council Chamber at the Presentation Centre. New Cathaoirleach Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy presided.

District Manager Claire Lawless suggested that it be called Barrack Street Car Park, but some members had a meltdown at the notion that it be called anything other than Murphy Floods Car Park!

Cllr Jackser Owens praised “the fantastic facilities” and stated it “will always be Murphy Floods Car Park” in memory of generations past who had the joys of their youth created into precious memories at Murphy Flood’s Hotel, which was only a small portion of the area seconded for a car park!

Cllr Aidan Browne didn’t understand why it should be called Barrack Street but complemented the Council on the work. Ms. Lawless said the entrance is off Barrack Street, but they were all too young to remember that it was called Barrack Street since the 1840 map of Enniscorthy was first published!

Anyway, it is to be called Murphy Floods Car Park although unfamiliar modern car users will need to have the Eircode for Barrack Street to find the entrance!

Cllr Owens was back in again to say that the work will ensure “no more flooding on Market Square” and he also lamented that there are no plans for a toilet in Murphy Floods Car Park. Cllr Owens reckons that when the car door is opened “the need to go” kicks in!

Cllr John O’Rourke suggested moving the Saturday Farmer’s Market into the new car park as it could increase footfall in the centre of the town even though such a move would reduce the number of car parking spaces?

Cllr O’Rourke said that Enniscorthy is a market town, there is wheelchair access and a weekly market would create an ambience in the centre of the town.