In defence of Mullagh

Dear sir - Recently there was an article in a national newspaper about Mullagh, describing it as a town 'blighted by ghost estates' and the downturn. It sounded like Mullagh people lived in one big open manhole with a dole queue leading up to it. Up until the mid 1990s, Mullagh was a town in decline with young people growing up and leaving for the cities or abroad. In 1996, the census indicated the population was 403 but by 2002 it was 479. By 2006 it had 679 people living within the town. The result of the extra influx of people to Mullagh has been a greater circulation of money and commerce in the local economy. This has lead to more shops and services being provided in the town. Since the 1970s, Wellman International decided to base their Irish factory in Mullagh realising its location was excellent. At the time Mullagh was 1 hour and 30 minutes from the city due to the roads, but in 2010 the M3 Motorway finished. The dual carriageway section now finishes 2.5 mile from the town and it takes 45 minutes to get to Blanchardstown. The article written in this national paper states 'there are ghost estates with no street lights, no sewerage connection and open manhole covers'. Yes, there are three incomplete estates, however the unfinished sites are fenced off and every house which is occupied is fully serviced. Negative equity is mentioned in the article but this is common in every town in the country as a result of poor counter cyclical fiscal policy. The article mentioned that a local butcher was closing his shop, but failed to mention that a new butcher had spotted an opportunity and business will continue as usual. I have never witnessed a queue outside the door of the post office for benefit. We have 12 new retirement homes which benefit the local community to be finished this year. Copper had been stolen from the retirement homes but currently copper prices are at an all time high and selling at €4,000 per tonne, Mullagh was an easy target. There is disappointment from some that three of the housing estates are unfinished due to the economy however without the growth of the town and investment in infrastructure and services by the local authority, Mullagh would be a one horse town desolated by emigration and a lack of services. We fully expect that in time, these housing estates will be finished when the economy turns the corner. In 2010, the local sports centre was opened with floodlit pitch, providing a hub for community activities. On Friday it hosted an under 21 GAA challenge match between Dublin and Cavan under lights. Mullagh Hall opened in 1932 and was refurbished in 2009 for the first time at a cost of €450,000 and regularly hosts drama plays and community meetings. These include meetings of the Tourism Development Committee and Tidy Towns discussing Mullagh's largest event the Fair Day and other business. In 2008, a children's playground was built beside the school at a cost of €120,000. The playground attracts families from the surrounding towns of Kells and Virginia who subsequently visit the scenic Mullagh Lake and Hill and use the local amenities. The school has seen substantial growth and it is a tribute to the teaching staff and management and its reputation as an excellent school in the area. A design team has now been appointed to build a new 16 teacher school to accommodate new growth in the near future at a cost of €2.5m. Around 2006, Cavan County Council upgraded the local waste water treatment plant to provide sufficient capacity until 2025. Street lights and footpaths have been provided and upgraded to many of the roads out of the town. Mullagh has a main gas line which is not taken advantage off yet, but can be tapped into and which many other towns in the country do not have. Mullagh is the birth place of St Killian, the patron Saint of Germany and has a heritage centre providing all the relevant history in the area. I am optimistic about Mullagh's future and look forward to future growth. Mullagh welcomes all people without discrimination and has some of the best up to date facilities of any small town in Ireland. I am proud of our town and its fast growing community without which a lot of the services and infrastructure would not have been provided. The town is a desirable place to live not only for its proximity to Dublin, scenery, services and infrastructure, but also as a place for families to set up their home and raise children that will help to reinforce the towns community in the future. I remain a proud citizen of Mullagh. Yours, Noel Clarke, Mullagh.