Summary Report and Event Template

Transcription

1 Soving our own probems! A two day workshop identifying Carrick-on-Suir s issues and coming up with soutions Summary Report and Event Tempate COSTEDC Working for Carrick-on-Suir - 1 -

2 Prepared: December, 2014 ISBN

3 Contents 1.0 Introduction to Carrick-on-Suir workshop Background Site ocation and context Methodoogy Impementation Author identification Acknowedgements Carrick-on-Suir working group summaries Retai Tourism Traffic and parking Using heritage inteigenty The pubic ream Running your own event tempate Introduction Timing Bookings Food The event Budget The report Foow-up The Carrick-on-Suir ectures 29 Appendices 30 A Additiona tourism information 30 B Town appication form 33 C Event poster 35 D Fina instructions to the mentors 36 E Participant review

4 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background This report detais the findings from a two day town heath check seminar caed Soving our own probems! Hed in Carrick-on-Suir on November 7 th and 8 th, 2014, the event s concept was that five experts / mentors in various areas (tourism, heritage, pubic ream, retai, roads and parking) woud hep the peope of Carrick come up with ideas to hep tacke their pace s issues. The roe of the mentors was to assist the peope of the town in coming up with soutions that are sustainabe, i.e. that are doabe, taking into account the skis and abiities of those who ive there. The Friday session comprised of ectures from the mentors. On Saturday, a town wakabout and workshop were hed. The weekend was a concept of the Irish Waed Towns Network (IWTN). The IWTN was founded by the Heritage Counci in order to unite and co-ordinate oca authorities invoved in the management, conservation and enhancement of historic waed towns in Ireand, both north and south. One of the core roes of the Network is to enabe peope to make better decisions for their town. This is mainy done through a training programme. The Soving our own probems weekend was part of that programme. The right of hosting the event was decided through a competition hed amongst IWTN member towns. Carrick-on-Suir won. They did so because they had the most community buy-in to the concept. The resuting event was a partnership between the town and the IWTN. The five mentors were: David Fitzsimons, CEO, Retai Exceence Ireand Topic: enhancing the town centre retai experience Simon Wa, Westport Town Architect Topic: improving the pubic ream Dave O Connor, Panning Lecturer, DIT Topic: parking and traffic management Paddy Mathews, Destination Deveopment Manager, Fáite Ireand Topic: tourism deveopment in historic towns Grainne Shaffrey, Director, Shaffrey Associates Architects Topic: using heritage inteigenty 1.2 Site Location and Context Located 27km to the northwest of Waterford City, Carrick-on-Suir s dominant character is that of rura market town (see figure 1.1). Over the past two decades a arge commuter popuation has deveoped both within and immediatey surrounding the town. The town s popuation of 5,886 (CSO, 2011) can be broady spit between richer, better educated peope ocated on the town s periphery and poorer, ess we educated inhabitants iving in the core. Unempoyment is high. Between February 2007 and February 2012 the number of peope signing on at the Carrick-on- Suir Socia Wefare Office increased from 913 persons to 2,085 ( media/280-is8%20carrick-on-suir%20profie.pdf accessed 10/12/2014). That is a 228% increase. The key tourist attraction is Ormond Caste. The caste is Ireand s best remaining Eizabethan mansion. In 2012, it attracted 9,539 visitors ( asp accessed 10/12/2014)

5 Fig. 1.1 Location of Carrick-on-Suir (Source: Googe Earth, accessed 10/12/2014) 1.3 Methodoogy This document comprises short summaries of the discussions from the five working groups. The groups each focused one of the foowing topics: the pubic ream, tourism, traffic and parking, retai, and heritage. 1.4 Impementation The impementation of this document is up to the town. Once the report has been pubished a foow-up meeting is to be hed between reevant community stakehoders and outside agencies. Stakehoders incude COSTEDC, COSBA, Tipperary County Counci, South Tipperary Deveopment Company and the Heritage Counci. Pease note that this ist is not exhaustive. The kick-start meeting wi review the document and decide upon actions for the coming year. Responsibiities are to be ascribed and minutes kept. Foow-up meetings are to be arranged as deemed necessary. 1.5 Author Identification The summaries were prepared by a representative from each of the five working groups. The authors are: Rache Cunningham, Róisín O Grady, Liam Mannix, Tony Musio, and Linda Fahy. The report was edited by Liam Mannix, Project Manager of the Irish Waed Towns Network. Ian Doye, Head of Conservation at the Heritage Counci, reviewed the document. 1.6 Acknowedgements The IWTN acknowedges the hep of Rache Cunningham, Róisín O Grady, Tony Musio, and Linda Fahy in the preparation of this report. We woud aso ike to thank: Nia Wash, Care Lee, Coette Nash, Patsy Fitzgerad, Anthony Fitzgerad, Margo Hayes, Martin Noan and Ian Doye for their hep in making the weekend happen. Our greatest thank you goes to the five mentors that so wiingy gave their time and expertise: David Fitzsimons, Simon Wa, Dave O Connor, Paddy Mathews, and Grainne Shaffrey. Finay, thank you aso to Minister Anne Phean TD for aunching the event

6 2.0 Workshop group summaries 2.1 Retai Mentor: David Fitzsimons, Retai Exceence Ireand Author: Liam Mannix Issue identified: Weak retai core. Poicy: Focus attention on the area of Main Street between the West Gate and the junction for the New Bridge. Over time, work out from there. Encourage the pubic to first visit and then inger in this area. The space must be animated and made into a desirabe destination. Actions: a. Create a subsidised paint scheme that wi enhance the pubic ream. This was done in Yougha. b. Support the instaation of appropriate awnings aong the street. c. There is the possibiity of substantiay widening the street without the oss of car park spaces This wi create a more peasant ream and encourage businesses to spi out on to the street. d. Once the footpaths have been widened, the possibiity of moving the farmers market to the street shoud be considered. e. Improve existing events in the town centre and where possibe deveop new ones. The town centre is to be used as a venue for these events. f. Loca businesses shoud think of the Supervaue as an anchor store to the whoe retai core. They shoud work off it. Entice peope onto Main Street with specia offers. g. Deveop the town centre voucher system. Look at the Letterkenny mode. shopk.ie/ Funding identified: Tipperary County Counci for the paint scheme. Irish Waed Towns Network for the medieva festiva. Issue identified: Some retaiers are not maximising the potentia of their business. There is poor engagement with prospective customers in the town (both resident and visiting). Many shops are cuttered and poory aid out. Others have poor window dispays that do not effectivey communicate what they are about. Poicy: Improve the ski set of retaiers. Action: Engage Retai Exceence Ireand to discreety mentor businesses over severa years. Likey funding: Community Enterprise - 6 -

7 Issue identified: Athough Main Street is one way, the footpaths have not been widened to provide a more peasant shopping environment. Poicy: Where possibe widen the footpaths of Main Street (fig. 2.1). Actions: a. Widen footpaths to aow traders to spi out. This can be done without the oss of any car spaces. b. Investigate the possibiity of osing one or two spaces to create better pubic spaces as in Westport. c. Put a mini pay park in the midde of the town. This wi encourage famiies onto Main Street. Fig 2.1 Main Street, Carrick-on-Suir (Source: Heritage Counci, 2014) - 7 -

8 Issue identified: There is a ack of weekend experiences to bring peope into the town centre. Poicy: Deveop desirabe experiences. Actions: a. Create a programme of events, arge and sma, to bring peope into the town. Make sure these are marketed we. Link the caste to other experiences and businesses in the town. b. The caste is a key asset for the town. Weekend experiences shoud be hinged around it. c. The caste needs to become more of a hub for activities. Work with the OPW to bring this about. Issue identified: Gaps in the town s retai offering. Poicy: Create a more compete shopping experience. Actions: a. Conduct an audit of what types of shops are not on Main Street. For instance, there is no bookshop or high end food shop offering organic produce. b. Where gaps have been identified use enticements to encourage retaiers to set up in Carrick (e.g. ow rents, grants for fit out costs, no rates for the first year). Ensure there is no dispacement. Issue identified: The night time economy is fractured. Poicy: Enhance the town s night time economy through cooperation, safety measures, and events. Action: a. Deveop a programme of events for various audiences (famiies, edery coupes, younger coupes, etc). The programme shoud be marketed we. b. Initiay run a sma series of various events to buid confidence and competence. c. Work with the pubicans and Guards to better improve safety during the night. d. The town has two theatres. Specia offers bunding tickets with meas in oca restaurants coud be created. Focus on the quick wins! - 8 -

9 2.2 Tourism Mentor: Paddy Mathews, Fáite Ireand Author: Linda Fahy Pease note that additiona information on tourism assets in Carrick can be found in appendix A. Issue identified: Lack of a cohesive cutura tourism product and brand. Lack of awareness amongst prospective tourists of what Carrick-on-Suir has to offer. Poicy: Focus on identifying and deveoping a unique brand identity that sums up what makes the town specia and why peope shoud visit it. Enhance connections between oca businesses, the caste, river, greenway, and Buter Trai. Cross promote with other nearby attractions. The town needs to be firmy put on the tourist map. Actions: a. Define a distinctive brand image. Create a brand that stands out and showcases the town s key attributes, from the big (Ormond Caste) to the sma (P.J. Drohan s fishing tacke shop). b. Destination Carrick on Suir! Create a brand identity that sums up what makes the town specia. Identify the unique seing point. Care shoud be exercised in not osing focus by faing into the trap of highighting everything. Estabish an eevator pitch focusing on Carrick-on-Suir s natura and buit heritage. c. Consider identifying different quarters in the Town (e.g. the shopping quarter, cutura quarter, maritime quarter, eccesiastica Carrickbeg). d. Promote and enhance the existing tourist trais (e.g. the Buter Trai, the East Munster Way, the greenway). Enhance inks with surrounding towns ocated aong the trai routes in Tipperary, Waterford, and Kikenny. Where strategic gaps are identified, deveop new trais as deemed necessary (e.g. heritage trai, art/crafts trai, food trai, music trai) e. Create a cutura tourism spine, a goden mie, from the Westgate to Ormond Caste (fig. 2.2). Check out Kikenny s medieva mie for inspiration Media-Centre/Brand-aunched-for-Ireand%E2%80%99s-Medieva-Mie-in-the.aspx f. Rediscover the unique forgotten aneways. These are the connectors between the town s assets (figures 2.3, 2.4 & 2.5). g. Invove young peope in a initiatives, incuding during the panning stage. Fig 2.2 Kikenny s medieva mie brand (Source: accessed 10/12/2014) - 9 -

10 Fig 2.3 Sydney aneway with interesting street art (Source: Heritage Counci, 2014) Figures 2.4 & 2.5 In this historic Sydney aneway 19 th century characters have been instaed (Source: Heritage Counci, 2014) Issue identified: Lack of accommodation. Poicy: Improve the marketing of existing accommodation in the town and surrounding areas aong the Buter Trai / Suir Vaey Region. Research possibe additiona accommodation resources. Focus attention on the main accommodation faciities in the town, how they can be used to their maximum potentia. Offer support / funding to those interested in deveoping other forms of accommodation, e.g. caravan / camping faciities, hostes, guesthouses, B&Bs, sefcatering

11 Actions: a. Identify a cear isting of accommodation in the Town and surrounding areas. Incude type of accommodation and what each one can offer and its proximity s to Carrick on Suir and main attractions. b. Improve the marketing of the existing Caravan Park accommodation aong the greenway and river (bueway). c. Look into deveoping additiona cost-effective accommodation cost effectivey, maybe pop-up accommodation as necessary for events, e.g. sef catering. The town has many empty residentia houses. Maybe offer funding / incentives to property owners to turn these premises into sef-catering hoiday homes. d. Become a host. Offer incentives to homeowners wiing to rent out a room during festivas, events, thereby giving tourists the utimate unrivaed Irish cutura experience. AirBnB provides a wordwide patform to enabe this ( e. Consider turning vacant pubs into guest houses or sef catering spaces. Hostes for the active traveer. f. Identify quirky or themed iving accommodation for hoiday makers. Give them a unique experience. g. Coaborate with businesses (e.g. auctioneers / property agents) and community groups on this initiative. Issue identified: There is no town brochure or website. The town s socia media presence is poor. Poicy: Once town branding has been created, focus on deveoping a marketing strategy faciitated by a website, possibe app, brochure, and an active socia media presence. Actions: a. Deveop a simpe, cear, easy to navigate website for the town. Use org/ as a mode (fig. 2.6). b. Deveop a brochure with map highighting the town s main attractions, and unique attributes (fig. 2.7). c. Deveop a one day itinerary fyer. d. Deveop a whats on App to keep ocas and visitors up to date on what s happening in Carrick-on-Suir and surrounding areas. e. Radicay improve the town s socia media presence. Create the stories!

12 Fig 2.6 Screen grab of visitchichester.org (Source: accessed 10/12/2014) Fig. 2.7 Waterford s Viking Triange tourist map (Source: accessed 10/12/2014)

13 Issue identified: The town s assets are underutiized. Poicy: Ceary identify the town s assets: cutura, heritage, retai, socia, sporting, transport, etc. Use them to attract visitors Actions: a. River Suir - the town is ocated aong the beautifu River Suir (fig. 2.8). The river needs to be highighted and marketed as a seing point for attracting visitors to the town. Anging tourism needs to be supported by restocking the River. Encourage and deveop other activities on the river for the whoe famiy to enjoy. This coud incude kayaking, scenic tours, fy-fishing workshops, boatbuiding workshops, events, concerts, etc. b. Marina - aready in pace. Inject funding to make it more attractive to tourists and ink with the town s goden mie, Manor House, Buter Trai and Greenway. Improve marketing and inkages with the harbour in Waterford City. Improve use through running boat raies and other events. c. The Ormond Caste - Improve signage, access and branding of the Tudor Manor House (fig. 2.9). Have more interactive days in the Caste for the whoe famiy. Host more events, concerts, storyteing, etc. Link the caste back to the town, marina, and river. d. Improve reationships with the OPW. e. Greenway - need to compete the project and ink it to the town centre and other assets. f. Laneways - need to deveop a pan to uncover and utiise the unique forgotten aneways that connect the town s assets. The use of the anes coud be a key aspect of the 2015 Cancy Brothers Music & Arts Festiva. g. Train Station - Unique and quirky, the station opened in It ies aong the Waterford to Limerick ine. The ine is underutiised. No trains run on Sundays. h. Cycing / Sean Key - Sean Key Cycing Tour. There is a strong cycing cub in Carrickon-Suir. This shoud be highighted and buit upon. Investigate moving the focus of the existing tour from Dungarvan to Carrick-on-Suir A Sean Key exhibition shoud be considered. i. Motor Cub there is a very strong motor cub, need to utiise / highight more. Buid tourism around ray events. j. Maurice Davin - statue unveied in There is the opportunity to deveop an annua event. k. Cancy Brothers - ceebrated annuay in June as part of the Cancy Brothers Music and Arts Festiva. The festiva was started in The event shoud be deveoped further.. High Crosses argey unknown, the crosses are potentiay a great tourist attraction. They shoud be buit into town s tourism portfoio. m. Two Theatres - Brewery Lane Theatre and the Operatic Society. Whie the Operatic Society tends to focus on musicas, operas and pantomimes, Brewery Lane usuay does drama. Both theatre spaces are heaviy utiized and supported by a forms of arts and across a age groups. Need to market / se these assets better and ink with each other and other assets. n. Numerous Sports Cubs - host more events that coud attract the active tourist www. carrickswan.gaa.ie

14 o. The we estabished Camera Cub that hosts many competitions. ie p. Miitary History - Town coud host more miitary events that coud attract tourists. q. Maritime History - Town coud host more maritime history workshops/events that coud attract tourists. r. There are strong Newfoundand connections. This is getting bigger and needs to source funding to sustain. s. Urban Puc Fada - Unique to Carrick on Suir, the event coud be deveoped. t. The Tudor Artisan Hub showcases and promotes works of over 60 oca artists. There is a need to ink up with the surrounding towns - buid a Suir Vaey Art Trai. u. Drohan Fishing Tacke Shop - This is a hidden gem that needs to be uncovered. The Carrick ure shoud be marketed as a distinguishing aspect of the town. v. Loca and Organic The Farmers Market takes pace every Friday from 10am-2pm outside the Heritage Centre (fig. 2.10). Fresh oca produce is avaiabe. The Market is hidden away. Once the paving on Main Street has been widened the Market shoud be moved onto the main thoroughfare. This wi animate the street and increase overa footfa. w. Link up with Suir Vaey Foodies - Buid a food trai focusing on oca and organic produce. x. Invove young peope from the start. Fig 2.8 The River Suir and Marina (Source: Heritage Counci, 2014)

15 Fig 2.9 Ormond Caste (Source: Heritage Counci, 2014) Fig 2.10 Farmers Market and Heritage Centre (Source: Heritage Counci, 2014)

16 Issue identified: Lack of youth invovement/participation. Poicy: Engage with a cross section of the youth when panning and deveoping tourism in the town. Getting input from our oca youth is critica. Actions: a. Contact Schoos - Incorporate town tourism into curricuum for transition year students b. Contact oca youth groups This incudes sporting, cutura, socia and charity organisations and ask them to deegate a member to get invoved with the town pans. c. Engage with your oca CoderDojo movement to deveop Apps that wi engage the younger generation. The Cancy Brothers Festiva coaborated with CoderDojo in the 2014 Festiva, (the Tech meets Trad App). d. The HUB, Cancy Brothers Festiva and oca Lions Cub have just funded a Youth and Arts programme and have engaged with a oca fifteen year od to ead this initiative which covers a art discipines, with backup support. Issue identified: Businesses not puing together adequatey. Poicy: Need to improve cohesion among businesses and oca groups. Actions: a. Discovery Day for ocas and businesses to uncover a the Hidden Gems. The ocas need to be town ambassadors. b. Hod monthy events whereby a business can unite for the common good. c. Co-advertising, discounts, and cross seing to improve cohesion amongst businesses. d. Put together a wecome COSBA package in the Tourist Office / Hote with coupons / Carrick treats. We need to care for our visitors so they wi want to come back and te their friends how we they were treated on their visit here. e. Encourage tour groups to spend a day in Carrick-on-Suir. Outine an itinerary that incudes shopping time in the town with incentives. Issue identified: The town needs to be ceaner. Poicy: Everyone needs to have pride in their space Businesses, Community Groups, ocas across a age groups. It cannot just be up to the over-stretched oca authority. Actions: a. Re-estabish Tidy Towns. b. Engage with a businesses, community groups / organisations, ocas from across a age groups. c. Estabish adopt a space program whereby business, community groups/organisations, ocas adopt a space, e.g. a aneway, and are responsibe for ceaning and maintaining it

17 d. Run competitions for the best maintained space. e. Have themed events to make it fun and quirky. f. Use these spaces to advertise what is happening in Carrick on Suir in creative ways. g. Consider making improving Carrick s aesthetic appea a transition year project. h. Engage with oca Scouts Cub and ask if they woud take a ead on a portion of this initiative. i. Get paint suppiers to suppy materias in return they can advertise their business / services. Issue identified: The town s geographic ocation. It is seen as a drive through town, periphera to the three counties. Poicy: Tourists don t care it is on the edge of three counties. There is a need to put a positive spin on the ocation of Carrick-on-Suir. Situated on the Nationa Primary Route N24 Carrick-on-Suir is just 13 mies east from Conme, 17 mies northwest from Waterford, and 26.5 mies from Kikenny. The town ies over three county ines and is convenienty connected to Limerick by road and rai. It is in cose proximity to beaches and coasta tourist towns - Dungarvan, Tramore and Dunmore East. It aso ies cose to the Comeragh Mountains. The town is served by bus and boasts a charming raiway station. Action: Se Carrick on Suir as a destination spot for day trippers. Link with surrounding towns in the three counties using The Buter Trai, The East Munster Way, The Heritage Trai, Art / Crafts Trai, The Greenway, The Riverway, Food Trai, Sports Trais, Music Trai, Anging Trai, etc. Issue identified: Loca apathy. Poicy: A ot of the pubic seem indifferent to what happens in their Town. There is a need to find a way to generate interest and encourage more peope to get invoved in soving the town s probems Actions: a. Target more community groups across a ages. Give each group Action tasks to sove a current identified issue. Give them a voice and see if we can peak their interest. Reawaken their concern and get Carrick moving in the right direction. b. Buid confidence, capacity and interest through quick and easy wins. Likey funding: Heritage Counci, County Counci, Waterways Ireand, Tourism Ireand, Fáite Ireand, Arts Counci, Interreg, Community Enterprise

18 2.3 Traffic and Parking Mentor: David O Connor, Panning Department, DIT Author: Tony Musio Issue identified: The town has a reativey high voume of through traffic that comes into the town over the new bridge and which must proceed down Main Street and through the West Gate enroute to the N24. This makes progress through Main Street sow and itte of the traffic adds business vaue. Poicy: Improve traffic fow through Main Street. Actions: a. Buiding upon work aready done by Tipperary County Counci, use DIT post-grad students to conduct a traffic and parking study to provide suitabe soutions. Some soutions coud invove simpe change experiments such as singe side, nose in parking on Main Street, bicyce rack space on key streets, using fower beds to modify traffic fow, and modifications to the New Street-Caste Street junction to enabe coach access to Ormond Caste, etc. b. Widen the footpaths to create a singe ane aong much of Main Street. This wi stop doube parking. It wi aso hep reguate the speed of cars and create a sense of order. This wi resut in an enhancement in pedestrian safety. Utimatey, it creates a more peasant experience for both driver and pedestrian aike. A this can be done without osing any car spaces. c. Any ong term pan shoud incude a new bridge to take traffic out of the town centre. d. The beautifu medieva streetscape of West Gate, Bridge Street into Od Bridge and Carrickbeg is not expoitabe due to some parking and traffic decisions. Seek soutions to these issues (fig. 2.11). e. Expain to traders that sighty ess parking on Main Street may mean more business. f. Changing the fow of traffic on New Steet and the Od Bridge coud be considered. Issue identified: Visitors may not be know where car parks are and their charges. Seminar attendees spoke of not seeing the car park just across from the Carraig Hote. Poicy: Improve awareness of parking options. Actions: a. Create high quaity, eegant, uniform signage directing peope to car parks. b. Investigate the instaation of digita dispays on approaches into the town centre containing information on the numbers of spaces in car parks and their rates. Such an action has taken pace in Kikenny. c. Improve visibiity of J. Foran car park on Main Street

19 Fig 2.11 The West Gate (Source: Heritage Counci, 2014) Issue identified: Parking discipine is an issue. Doube parkers do not bock fow but anywhere they don t bock fow they doube park. Poor parking practices at the west end of Main Street and at the Post Office is ikey to be hindering traffic fow and hence creating congestion. Poicy: Reduce bad parking opportunities. Action: Widen the footpaths to create a singe ane aong much of Main Street. This wi stop doube parking. Issue identified: There needs to be a cearer definition of when you are entering an urban space as compared to passing through. Exampes incuded the N24 end of Kickham Street, New Street, and the Conme Road Roundabout. Poicy: Create cear town entry point indicators at New Street, Conme Road Roundabout and Kickham Street. Action: A sense of arriva coud be communicated by using a combination of pinch points, paving, heritage interpretation, art, panting, and signage

20 Issue identified: A ack of bicyce traffic on town streets was observed during the waking tour aong with a ack of secure bicyce racks. Cycing is a significant mode of transport in Wesport. It coud aso be in Carrick. The quaity of the pubic ream for cycing is aso a major issue if the town wishes to benefit from cycing tourism. Poicy: Improve the environment for cycing in the town. Actions: a. Ensure the Greenway project brings cycists / wakers into centre of the town. b. Provide extra paces to park bikes in the town centre. Issue identified: Access to Ormond Caste needs to be improved. Poicy: Where possibe improve pedestrian and vehicuar access to the Caste. This shoud be done to maximise the earning potentia of businesses in the town. The design of any soutions shoud encourage caste visitors to inger in the town. Any proposed initiative must be mindfu of the town s historic grain. Actions: a. Enabe visitors to access the Caste directy from New Street car park. Soon to be instaed Buter Trai signage shoud hep with this goa. b. A ong term soution to entice tourist busses into town is to buid a new road from Raiway Bridge into the Wickow Garden Site. This shoud be bus ony soution. In the mean time consider improvements at the top of New Street / Caste Street. Likey funding: a. Expenses to cover trave for the DIT study in 2015 from the IWTN. b. Some eements of the actions may be funded through Tipperary County Counci pans. c. The actions wi ink cosey with pubic ream, tourism, heritage and retai actions so common funding of projects may be possibe. d. New bridge funding is not ikey in the short to mid-term

21 2.4 Using Heritage Inteigenty Mentor: Grainne Shaffrey, Shaffrey Architects Author: Róisín O Grady Issue identified: There is a ack of pubic awareness of the town s rich streetscape and heritage. There is a need to identify what the story of Carrick-on-Suir is and how to te it? Poicy: Need to find effective ways of promoting Carrick-on-Suir to the community and the visitor. Action: a. Loca history event / project communicating the Carrick-on-Suir Story (e.g. an event focusing on Back Tom). b. Strengthen the character of areas ike Carrickbeg and the Caste. c. Promote positive use of the network of anes by ensuring in the short term they are cean. In the ong term, improvements to the pubic ream shoud be considered. Any design shoud be high quaity and respectfu of the ane s heritage. d. Work with the OPW to get the most out of the Caste and Gardens. e. Recover pubic space on the Main Street and improve the pedestrian environment. f. The West Gate s potentia is imited by its ocation. It is argey hidden. Possibiities for opening the buiding on specia days shoud be considered. In Conwy, Waes, access to the town was is controed by a sma number of key hoders. A are insured by the town counci. Some of the key hoders aso provide tours of the town. Over time, a simiar scenario coud be considered in Carrick-on-Suir. g. There is significant potentia in the river and the town s industria heritage. h. Future deveopments must be truy cognisant of the pace s historic character. This incudes being mindfu of the historic settement pattern and the reationship with the river. Likey funding: a. Loca history projects may get funding from the Heritage Office or the Heritage Counci / IWTN. b. Event funding from the Irish Waed Towns Network. Issue identified: There are severa dereict structures in the town centre that coud be used for accommodation. Poicy: Encourage peope to better use existing structures in the town centres. Action: There are no easy answers. One possibe soution woud be to aow the amagamation of houses by creating openings between adjoining buidings. Funding: Heritage Counci for research paper on the reuse of historic structures in town centres

22 2.5 The Pubic Ream Mentor: Simon Wa, Mayo County Counci Author: Rache Cunningham Issue identified: Poor quaity and ow number of pubic ream areas. Poicy: Deveop pedestrian friendy zones in key ocations with specia emphasis upon the historic commercia spine of Main Street (Carrick-on-Suir s Roya Mie). Actions: a. Create four high quaity pubic ream squares aong Main Street at: 1. Sean Key Square 2. the junction of Bridge Street and Main Street 3. between the commercia banks 4. on the Caste Street cu-de-sac outside Ormond Caste (see figures 2.12 & 2.13). b. Consider opening up and deveoping the area around the Garda Station and the Court House. c. Investigate the possibiity of converting Kickham Street into a pedestrian street. This was successfuy done on a temporary basis during the Cancy Brothers festiva on the June Bank Hoiday. d. Investigate the possibiity of transforming the medieva bridge into a pedestrian bridge which wi ink the two historica areas on either side of the river (see figures 2.14 & 2.15). e. Where possibe, mark the ocation of the medieva wa. Figures 2.12 & 2.13 Improvements in pubic ream, Westport, Co. Mayo (Source: Simon Wa, 2014)

23 Fig Medieva Bridge ooking towards Carrickbeg (Source: Heritage Counci, 2014) Fig Pedestrian medieva bridge in Carcassonne, France (Source: accessed 10/12/2014)

24 Issue identified: The new Greenway is fawed in that it currenty terminates outside of the town centre. Poicy: Continue the Greenway route into the core of the town where there shoud be faciities provided at the termina point. Actions: a. Carry on the Greenway into the town, preferaby aong the river. Transform the North Quay road (Caste Lane) into a continuation of the Greenway. b. The Greenway and the Bueway (the River Suir) shoud be inked up. Services and faciities coud be constructed to faciitate both cycists and boaters. c. The medieva anes which ink the riverfront to the Main Street shoud be deveoped and made attractive. This woud draw cycists up towards the newy deveoped town squares. It woud aso attract peope down towards the river. A noda point coud be created on Oven Lane where there is space for a bike park (see fig. 2.16). Fig Proposed Westport smarter trave paviion with toiets, showers, ockers, bike park, and tourist information (Source: Simon Wa, 2014) Issue identified: The proposed N24 junction road that woud come in by the caste wi not substantiay improve the economy of Carrick-on-Suir. The presence of arge car parks right beside the heritage destinations of the Rock of Cashe and Trim Caste has ed to tourists simpy visiting the attraction and immediatey eaving. Poicy: Pan an aternative route which draws visitors up through the town when visiting Ormond Caste

25 Action: A road (with suitabe parking faciities and signage) shoud come down the west side of the town. The movement of tourists through the town woud generate visitor numbers to the shops and businesses. Issue identified: The Sheebeen buiding is at risk of being demoished. Poicy: Ensure that the Sheebeen buiding is retained. Action: Seek ways to make the buiding safe so it is no onger at risk of demoition. Its retention is very important. Athough dereict, it naturay draws the curious eye down towards the caste and eads peope through the town. The easy temptation to demoish shoud be resisted. The buidings rehabiitation woud add significanty to the quaity of the street (see figures 2.17 & 2.18). Figures 2.17 & 2.18 Beow are before and after images of the Triumpha Arch Lodge, Coebrook, Co. Fermanagh recenty restored by the Irish Landmark Trust Source: accessed 10/12/2014)

26 3.0 Running Your Own Event Tempate 3.1 Introduction The great benefit to an event such as the Soving our own probems, is that aows ocas to have a sense of ownership in the ideas that are created. Another great resut is the deveopment of empathy between oca businesses, community groups, and the oca authority. Empathy eads to a greater understanding of what can be done. It aso improves the connections between the various parties and thereby the capacity to deveop schemes better than what each coud do individuay. At the Carrick-on-Suir event everyone s voice was treated equay. The Carrick event was essentiay spit into Friday night ectures and the Saturday workshops with wakabout. The ectures from the five mentors educated those in attendance as to what has been done in other towns of simiar size. The Saturday tour of the town and workshops was where the ocas in conjunction with their mentor came up with sustainabe soutions to probems in the town. This two day teach / refect / pan approach was found to be highy effective. Before you decide to run your own event it is important to ascertain if you shoud do so. Is there enough oca interest from the business and community sectors? Wi the oca authority be supportive? It might be usefu to fi out the event appication form we issued to a IWTN member towns (appendix b). The process shoud hep you figure out if running a workshop woud be worthwhie. If you do decide to run an event, great! The next thing to do is to ascribe responsibiities for the various tasks to a sma team. Make sure everyone is aware of the responsibiities of each member. There shoud be one eader. 3.2 Timing There is no such thing as a good time to run an event. The reason we chose Friday night and Saturday is that most peope woud not have to take a day off work. A second reason was that the momentum of the event woud not be ost by running it across two weeks. The scheduing worked. During the Friday night ectures there were 60 attendees. For the waking tour and workshops on Saturday, roughy 30 peope attended. The Friday ectures ran from 5.30pm-8.40pm. The Saturday session went from 10am-4pm. 3.3 Bookings It was up to the oca host partner (COSTEDC) to advertise the event. Invitations were issued to a arge number of oca groups and interested peope. Posters were put up around the town and a press reease was issued (appendix c). One change we woud make now is to invove youth groups. The Friday night ectures shoud be open to anyone who wishes to attend. For the Saturday workshops a imit of 40 participants shoud be kept. Numbers above this are hard to coordinate and can ead to disruptive behaviour. Booking priority shoud be given to reevant groups. Nonetheess, at east ten paces must be kept for peope not aigned with any group. This wi ensure diversity of opinion. The ten paces can be given out on a first come, first served basis or by ottery. It is important that you have one point of contact for a bookings. This wi ensure tota contro on numbers and contact detais. Have one master exce sheet with names, emais, and phone numbers

27 The IWTN devised the workshop s concept. For us it was important that a hoistic approach be taken. Nothing stands in isoation. A town is not just one business or a singe tourist attraction. It is a pace where peope ive, work, and visit. Consequenty, we booked mentors from five different areas. They were: retai, heritage, the pubic ream, traffic and parking, and tourism. What was interesting to see during a the presentations on Friday was how probems and soutions overapped between the various discipines. The IWTN booked the speakers. We went to the top and were ucky to get everyone we wanted. When panning your event, it is vita that you obtain this breadth and quaity of mentor. If your event is of high quaity many speakers wi hep for free. However, make sure that they are we taken care of. It is aso essentia that the speakers be given cear instructions as to what is expected of them and the nature of the event. Any reevant reports shoud be forwarded on. Checkout appendix d for the fina detaied set of instructions issued to the mentors. We used one venue for the whoe weekend (The Carraig Hote). With a compicated two day event, ocating a ectures, workshops, and food in one pace made organising the seminar significanty easier than it coud have been otherwise. The hote was aso the pace where the mentors stayed on Friday night. 3.4 Food If you are asking for ocas to give up their free time you better feed them! Food aso heps to keep up the spirits of attendees. For the Friday ectures we had teas / coffees and scones avaiabe for everyone on arriva. There was a break haf way through with teas / coffees and biscuits on offer. The food was made avaiabe in the baroom where the event was taking pace. This made it easy to bring peope back to their seats for the second part of the ectures. After the event the mentors had a mea. On Saturday each attendee was given a unch token. Upon their return from one of the five waking tours they got their unch and sat in the baroom where the workshops woud be happening. The workshop tabes were kept separate from the unch tabes. Teas and coffees were aso avaiabe. 3.5 The Event Upon arriva there shoud be a registration tabe with name badges present. The Friday event started and ended ate. Beow is the schedue for the seminar on the Friday evening. It is usefu to buid in a time buffer that you can caw back during breaks. It is best that questions be aowed at the end of each tak. We aowed five minutes of questions after each presentation. However, if we were running over time cut back on this sighty Carrick-on-Suir wecome Launch of seminar by Minister Anne Phean Ian Doye (Heritage Counci) essons from the historic towns initiative Paddy Mathews tourism deveopment in historic towns Grainne Shaffrey using heritage inteigenty for your town Dave O Connor traffic and parking in a medieva town Break David Fitzsimons enhancing the town centre retai experience Simon Wa improving the pubic ream

28 PowerPoint faciities shoud be avaiabe for the speakers. Make sure to test if the presentations work on the screen before peope come in. Check if there is a projector and screen on site. In Carrick we had one microphone for the speakers and one roving microphone for questions. Don t forget to bring back-up batteries. It is important that you have an exceent chairperson for the seminar. The job of timekeeping shoud be given to another person. In our case, simpe signs with the numbers five and two were shown to each speaker teing them they had five and two minutes eft respectaby. When the ectures are finay over don t rush peope out. Aow them to minge. At 10am on Saturday the various ocas in attendance were spit up into five different working groups. Each mentor ed a group through Carrick, highighting issues which they noticed during their own exporation of the town. During each of the tours the mentors debated constanty with the group as to how to resove the identified probems. The five groups a returned back to the hote by 12.30pm for unch. At 1.30pm a workshop was conducted. Each group isted out the issues identified, created possibe soutions, and noted the required funding (if any). A group rapporteur from the town reported on what they had discussed and the possibe soutions. After each report, wider discussion and feedback came from the foor. Feedback forms were then given to every participants (see appendix e). The ast act was a summation of what has happened and what can happen. The event finished at 4pm. 3.6 Budget The cost of your event depends on your abiity to get things for free and find vaue. Beow are some indicative costs for various items: Teas / coffees and scones: 4-5 per person Proper unch with tea / coffee: 10 per person Venue hire: per day Mentor accommodation and expenses: per mentor If you cannot procure a mentor for free, a suitaby quaified person coud cost between per day. Graphic designer: 60 per hour Misceaneous costs incuding printing, projector hire, batteries, phone cas, etc: The Report Creating a post event report is vitay important to compiing the actions. A report aso aows peope to track the rate of competion of those same soutions. Spit into themes each section of the document shoud be competed by a member of the various mentor groups. It is usefu if everyone foows the same tempate. For the Carrick-on-Suir report we decided on using the headings: issues identified, poicy, and action. Your document shoud be edited by one individua. The initia draft must be issued for comment before finay being pubished. The Carrick-on-Suir report is avaiabe onine and in the oca ibrary

29 3.8 Foow-up Having a great weekend and a ovey report is nothing without the commitment to foow-up on the actions. Impementation shoud not be eft to the Counci. It is the responsibiity of the town as a whoe to make things happen. Accordingy, the creation of a town team made up of the private, pubic and community sectors is essentia to the reaisation of the document s actions. Reguar foow-up meetings must be hed. Minutes shoud be kept and responsibiities ascribed. A review of the eve of impementation shoud occur one year after the event was hed. 3.9 The Carrick-on-Suir Lectures A the ectures from the Carrick-on-Suir event were recorded. They are avaiabe to watch on the Heritage Counci s YouTube channe. Besides being highy educationa, they shoud give you an idea to the caibre of mentor you need to book. The website address is beow:

30 Appendix A Additiona Tourism Information Author: Linda Fahy Core Assets - Ormond Caste, (Tudor Manor House), Buter Trai, River Suir, 2 renowned Theatres, Heritage Centre, Cock Tower, Farmers Market, Newfoundand Connection, Anging, Boating, Marina, Sports (Sean Key, Maurice Davin), Music (Cancy Brothers), Greenway, Riverway, Mountains - Comeragh & Sieve na mban, Heritage Waed Town, Od Bridge, Hidden Gems Fy fishing Shop, Laneways, The Tudor Artisan Hub, Spudbas, O Ceaachains, Gof Cubs, Maritime History, The Munster Way Paces to Visit/Things to do in and around Carrick on Suir Ormond Caste - 14th century residence of the Buters of Ormond Heritage Centre - 13th century Church Site off Main Street West Gate - Eary defensive gate at Town Was Town Cock Tower - (1794) Od Bridge - (Mid 15th century) 1799 River disaster St. Moerans Church - 14th century eary Franciscan Abbey St. Nichoas Church - Church site since 18th century Town Ha - Administrative Centre Dion Bridge - 19th century Oven Lane - Off Main Street (15th century) River Suir Quayside - Marina Fair Green Commonage - 13th century Town Park - Eary 19th century Cairin We - Eary 16th century water source River Suir - Waking town path route Coonamuck Road - 13th century townsand Reiig na Muc - 13th century Graveyard Brewery Lane Theatre - Caste Street Gen River - Widife & Aviary Wetand site Via Terrace - Macomsons Houses, St. Johns Road Bother Bui - Yeow Road od route to Waterford via Kimeaden. The Dove Hi Design Centre Ahenny High Crosses - 10 km Kikieran High Crosses - 6 km Curraghmore House & She House - 12 km (by appointment) Tybroughney Caste - 5 km (by appointment) Bayneae Caste - 5 km (by appointment) Churchtown Graveyard - 6 km (Buria Site of Maurice Davin, 1st President of the G.A.A.) Mothe Hoy We - 4 km (Ancient Reigious Site) Ink Botte House - 4 km Teagasc Kidaton Agri Coege - 5 km (Formery Bessborough Estate)

31 Knockroe Tombs - 13 km (Ancient Buria Site, approx 5,000 years od) Harristown Domen - 13 km Rathgormack Caste - 12 km Conea Caste - 12 km Wa s Caste, Coonamuck - 3 km Victoria Sate Quarries - 10 km Waterford & Suir Vaey raiway station Sports/Cuture/Workshops etc, Carrick on Suir Cycing Sports Centre Swimming Gof G. A. A. Soccer Rugby Community Games Athetics Tennis Handba & Racquet Ba Cub Davin Park Indoor Courts Waking Horse-Riding Boxing Anging Cub Motor Cub Gun Cub 88 Bridge Cub Shotokan Karate Cub Taekwondo Schoo Zumba Fitness Studio Musica Society Brewery Lane Theatre & Arts Centre Carrick Camera Cub Poetry Nights Creative Writing Workshops Art Gaeries Art Casses Fok Music Sessions Trad Schoo of Music Tearoom Music Sessions Fim Cub Art Studio Traditiona Crafts Knitting Workshops Dark Room

32 Drama Workshops Music Academy Irish Dancing Baet Fok Choirs Brass Bands Carrick-on-Suir Active Retirement Cub The Carers Association Sacred Dance: Fok Group/Choir Bunny Hop South Tipperary VEC Adut Learning Scheme Basic Adut Education Art Workshops Art (Watercoours) Basic Irish Basic Poish Bridge Casses Weight Watchers Unisim Yoga Piates First Aid Courses Cardiac First Response (Defibriator) Civi Defence Heath Promotion Events and Courses Manua Handing Sign Language STAGES (South Tipperary Adut Guidance in Education Service)

33 Appendix B Soving our own probems: a weekend of generating ideas Town Appication Form Introduction The IWTN has committed to arranging a two day town specific heath check seminar. The concept is that five experts / mentors in various areas (heritage tourism, pubic ream, architecture / panning, retai, roads and parking) wi hep the peope of a historic town come up with ideas to hep tacke their pace s probems. On the evening of day one (possiby Friday) there woud be a seminar where each expert woud speak for minutes on best practice exampes in paces simiar to the town. This event wi be open to a, incuding representatives from other IWTN towns. During the next morning a cross section group of ocas woud conduct waking tours of the town centre with the five mentors. It is expected that the chosen town wi have ensured the active participation of as many key decision makers as possibe for both days. Possibe participants incude representatives from the chamber of commerce, tourism group, heritage group, tidy towns, oca counciors, oca authority panners, and heads of counci services. During the wak issues wi be highighted. After the tours there wi be workshops during which the peope from the town woud have to come up with the ideas. The mentors roe at this stage is merey to hep craft the initiatives. After the weekend a report on the seminar wi be competed and issued to the counci. A ist of actions wi aso be created. The IWTN wi be providing funding towards the cost of the mentors. We wi aso provide project management services. The town that wi get the seminar is the pace that the seection committee think wi best use the opportunity. The event wi take pace towards the end of October / start of November. Towns are invited to appy for support in running the seminar / workshop. The cosing date for receipt of the appication form is 12 noon Juy 9 th. The fied out form, aong with any etters of support, shoud be sent to Liam Mannix, Project Manager Irish Waed Towns Network at mannix@ heritagecounci.ie. Appicants wi receive e-mai confirmation once the appication has been received. The winning town wi be seected by the IWTN Management Committee. Shoud there be an appication from a town from the same county as an ordinary town committee member, that member wi be omitted from the seection process. Appicants wi receive notification via emai of the resut by Juy 17th

34 Name of town Contact person Name Position Organisation Address E-mai Teephone Why shoud your town host the seminar / workshop? (max 400 words) What woud be its egacy? (max 200 words) Which key decision makers and groups have committed to attend both days? What roe coud the key decision makers in attendance have in impementing the ideas generated (max 200 words)? What resources is your town wiing to provide to the seminar / workshop (venue, catering, etc)? How woud your town add vaue to the seminar / workshop? (max 200 words) Pease ist any etters of support / intent from key decision makers (the etters shoud be attached to the appication emai):

35 Appendix C Event Poster Soving our own probems! A two day workshop identifying Carrick-on-Suir s issues and coming up with soutions We want you to get invoved! Friday 7th November - Information seminar 5.30pm - 9pm Saturday 8th November - Workshops 10am - 4pm Venue - The Carraig Hote Five mentors wi hep the peope of Carrick-on-Suir come up with sustainabe answers to the towns socia and economic chaenges. David Fitzsimons CEO, Retai Exceence Ireand enhancing the town centre retai experience Simon Wa Westport Town Architect improving the pubic ream Dave O Connor Panning Lecturer, DIT parking and traffic management Paddy Mathews Destination Deveopment Manager, Fáite Ireand tourism deveopment Grainne Shaffrey Director, Shaffrey Associates Architects using heritage inteigenty