‘Pocket Park’ proposal totransform council depot
Meath Co Council has committed to looking for alternative locations for the council yard at Abbey Road, in order to allow public access to the town's Medieval Wall.
At a meeting of Navan Municipal Council last week, Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons called for the re-purposing of the council yard on Abbey Road "into a heritage pocket park, in order to fully utilise the refurbished town wall so that our local community and visitors can access our own national monument in an accessible and safe area.”
"The council yard is one of the very few places where the old town wall is still visible, but nobody sees it. It is a lovely little area and could be a very safe park, in the centre of the town, where people could come and see the wall. It could also be used as an outdoor theatre," he said.
"It would drive Navan on and make it an attractive place to come to and would be accessible to young and old."
He was told the development of a pocket park and outdoor interpretation facility to present the conserved section of Navan Town Walls at the Council Yard was a potential future project identified in the Navan Town Walls Conservation and Management Plan published in 2022.
Officials agreed this would present a significant opportunity for a new cultural attraction and public realm project for Navan, celebrating its medieval heritage that could be enjoyed by locals and visitors to the town. The yard is currently used for operational purposes by Navan MD therefore an alternative suitable site would have to be secured before any project could be advanced.
"Meath County Council will commit to exploring the feasibility of alternative locations for this operation," Cllr Fitzsimons was told.
Cllr Francis Deane said the wall should be better promoted.
"It could be a great tourist attraction," he said.
Cllr Alan Lawes said that anything they could do to attract people to the town and celebrate our heritage, should be done.
"It is in a very central area, right beside the shopping centre and the bus stops," he said.
The Mayor of Navan, Cllr Eddie Fennessy said that archaeologist Clare Ryan had published a conservation plan for Navan's Medieval Town Walls last year.
"It is a very important document in terms of local heritage and I urge people to read it. A key part of the plan calls for greater public access to the site. The plan proposes to convert the council yard into an outdoor museum with indoor facilities, a small garden area and bespoke access gates. And that the facility be the starting point for a walking trail of Medieval Navan.
"I'm on the record several times over the past few years calling for greater public access to the Medieval Walls. At every given opportunity I have encouraged the council to implement in full, Clare's conservation plan and its recommendations.
"We have two Greenways making there way to Navan and with them tens of thousands of tourists. To have such an amenity in Navan would draw those tourists into the town and have a positive impact on the local economy. I call on the council to implement the plan without further delay."