As I walked down by the Garavogue river yesterday, I wondered at all the lovely restored buildings now rented out as apartments and retail units. They looked so pristine. Not always!

I remember in the 70’s and 80’s sitting in the bar of the Silver Swan (now the Glasshouse) looking at the painting behind the bar. It was a Bernard McDonagh original, commissioned by Jimmy Higgins, the owner and builder of the Silver Swan. A futuristic depiction of the banks of the Garavogue completely renovated, it was based on Jimmy’s vision for the area.

  In those days, that whole area was full of derelict warehouses, overgrown vegetation, and no walkways. There was no question of walking along it like I was now doing.

I emigrated to the US in the 80’s and returned in 2007 with my family, and resettled here.

Somewhere in those years the banks of the Garavogue were transformed into the thriving town centre it is today.

Now, it’s the edges of town that need a facelift. Not just a facelift, but an overhaul, in order to provide much needed housing. Thanks to the Croi Conaithe grants, there is a movement in the right direction.

Let’s hope 2024 will see this through, just as the river saw its transformation all those years ago.