Rosbercon ‘abandoned’ and ‘derelict’? Kilkenny County Council says €500,000 invested

Accusations that the village of Rosbercon gets poor support from Kilkenny County Council and that ‘the place is a bit derelict’ have been refuted by local councillors and officials.

The Kilkenny-Wexford border community is on the edge of the Callan Thomastown municipal district, and separated from the town of New Ross by just the River Barrow. Some residents feel aggrieved by what they see as the lack of investment in the area.

Local man Pierce Handrick told the Kilkenny People that he feels “because we are far from Kilkenny we don’t get a fair crack of the whip. No-one comes down and gives us any assistance.”
Outlining his concerns, Mr Handrick said: “We are not asking for anything we wouldn’t get in Inistioge, Bennettsbridge or Thomastown.”

Recently, another resident complained that just €80,000 has been invested in Rosbercon in recent years, compared to ‘around €20 million’ earmarked for New Ross town.
However, Kilkenny County Council officials have refuted the claims, providing the Kilkenny People with details that ‘over €500,000 of works on roads has, and will be, spent over the past three years, which includes 2023.’

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Mr Handrick, who is the chairman of the local Community Alert, and is a member of the Rosbercon Residents’ Group, said people in his community feel abandoned.
“All infrastructure here needs to be improved because there is a massive amount of rates paid by the business park. Where is the money going, it’s not being spent down here?”

He said that there is no local councillor for the area. Kilkenny County Council ‘know 100% what we want,’ he added, saying roads in the area had not been done ‘for years’ and “the place is a bit derelict.”

Among the concerns of local residents, Mr Handrick said, is the delay in a childrens’ play area being provided for the Castlehyde estate area. He said the developer of the housing had agreed to swap an unsuitable site for a better location, with the County Council.

A frustrated Mr Handrick said that what Rosbercon needs is a man like Eamon Hore, the Director of Services for the Municipal District of New Ross, who is, he said, “a great man for New Ross.”

Mr Handrick went on to say the Wexford councillors are trying to come in to look after Rosbercon, but he adamantly denied that people in Rosbercon want to be transferred from Kilkenny County Council to Wexford County Council.
Other concerns raised in the area in recent weeks include the lack of a waste water connection to the business park, needing a bigger school and incidents of cars being burnt out.

Kilkenny County Council’s director of services for the Callan Thomastown District, until recently, Mary Mulholland said there is ongoing engagement between the council and the New Ross Municipal District. In recent months they have discussed recreational amenities and tourism.

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A dialogue is also being supported between Kilkenny County Council and local residents. On March 29, a local delegation will meet with council officials to discuss the matters they have raised including roads, footpaths, water services and amenities. In respect for the residents, a full and complete statement on local issues will not be issued until after that meeting, Ms Mulholland said. Kilkenny County Council wants to take the concerns of residents on board.

Ms Mulholland clarified the ongoing playground issue, saying it can’t be provided if planned private housing development doesn’t go ahead, as the current site proposed is in the middle of a field. As municipal district manager for the last number of years, Ms Mulholland was taken aback by some of the recent complaints aired in public that had not been raised with her.

A number of councillors based in south Kilkenny brought representations from the Rosbercon area to workshops to plan road and other works, this year.

Councillor Michael Doyle lives in The Rower. He said he has received many representations from the Rosbercon area. “They are dealt with efficiently by Kilkenny County Council.” He welcomes anyone from the area to get in touch with him.
He disagreed that the area does not get attention from Kilkenny County Council, but said Rosbercon is on the edge of the local garda district.
“If help is needed or something happens, gardaí have to come from Mooncoin, which is a far way.” That’s something that should be looked at, he said.

“I have ties myself with the area and am very familiar with Rosbercon and surroundings,” Cllr Deirdre Cullen said, encouraging anyone in the area to get in touch with her if they want to make representations to Kilkenny County Council, at any time. “I’m regularly in the area and would be happy to meet anyone, at any time.”

Cllr Cullen pushed for the Low Cost Safety Scheme completed at the Garranbehy junction last year.
Chairman of the Callan Thomastown Municipal District Matt Doran said they would do all they can to facilitate cooperation.

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Investment
Kilkenny County Council has clarified some concerns raised in Rosbercon.

In the last three years over €500,000 has been invested in the area by the county council, on top of routine maintenance works such as opening inlets, road repairs, line marking etc. This includes: Restoration Improvement works on the R704 Ballyreddy 1km; Low Cost Safety Scheme at the R704 junction with Millbanks Road; Drainage works on the R704 Mile Bush; Drainage works Rosbercon R704; Phase 1 Millbank Grove Footpaths; Millbanks Phase 2 footpaths.

Works planned this year include: Restoration Improvement on the LS 3431 and the L7494 in Tullogher; Millbanks Phase 3 footpaths; Drainage works Rosbercon.
Any Rosbercon issues that are brought to the area office’s attention are dealt with. However, Castlehyde estate has not been taken in charge by the county council and they have no jurisdiction to carry out works in it.