Magnificent makeover almost complete at Laois park
Artist's drawing of the new central plaza at the People's Park in Portarlington
FINISHING touches will be completed within the next week on a major makeover of the People’s Park in Portarlington, which has been transformed into a beautiful community space.
New park furniture, a central plaza, sculptures and artwork, a tree trail and an edible garden are just some of the attractions at the site, as part of a remarkable redevelopment costing €680,000.
The paved central plaza can be used as an outdoor event space, while other additions include picnic tables, benches, seating areas and bicycle stands. The edible garden contains a variety of peaceful paths and sensory plants, while the tree trail has information boards and interpretative wildlife signage. An orienteering route is also being established.
Work is still continuing on the playground section of the park, which is in the final stages and is expected to open in mid-March with a fantastic array of new play equipment.
Welcoming the redevelopment, Portarlington Tidy Towns said on social media yesterday (Thursday): ‘Fantastic news - the park will be completed in the next week. A huge amount of work has been put into the park for everyone in the community. We are very lucky that the park has been designed with different needs and abilities catered for.
‘A fantastic play centre for young children includes a natural play area, consisting of mounds and banks of grass to facilitate natural play of rolling and climbing, wheelchair accessible picnic benches and a roundabout.
‘The only thing we ask as a community is that people respect the new park. The park is for the community and we ask all to put the message across, be respectful and enjoy this fabulous new development and facilities.’
An official opening of the revamped People's Park is expected to be held in March, to allow turf mounds to seed in the meantime. The redevelopment was carried out in phases, which allowed the park to remain open throughout the works.
The project was mainly funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS), which awarded a grant of €500,000 in 2022 following submission of a masterplan. The balance was provided by Laois County Council.
The masterplan was prepared for the council by Green Pine Consultants and had input from local organisations that included the Portarlington Community Development Association.
