New parking spaces for busy Portlaoise street

EVERY little helps, especially when it comes to premium parking spaces in Portlaoise.

Laois Co Council has agreed to install a new parking bay in a disused set-down area on Main Street, following a proposal by Cllr Tommy Mulligan.

The set-down space outside the former O’Loughlin’s Hotel is no longer needed, since refugee accommodation ceased last year and the property is vacant.

Cllr Mulligan asked for the space to be replaced by a much-needed parking bay, which would benefit shoppers and businesses on the busy street.

At the December meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District (MD), the Independent councillor said he spoke to businesspeople on Main Street and they supported the conversion of the drop-off area to parking spaces.

Cllr Mulligan said: “The set-down area has not been used since the hotel closed to the public almost two years ago, so it serves no purpose. One or two parking spaces instead would be a benefit to businesses on Main Street.” 

The proposal was seconded by Cllr Marie Tuohy, who commented: “People like to park close to shops and businesses, so an extra couple of spaces would be very welcome.” 

The Town Hotel, formerly O’Loughlin’s, became an accommodation centre for Ukrainian refugees in 2022, until its contract with the Department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth ended in July 2024. It was previously the popular O’Loughlin’s Hotel since 1995 and was in use as a hotel since the early 1900s.

In a written response to Cllr Mulligan’s proposal, a council official said: ‘Portlaoise MD office will remove the set-down area markings at this location and revert this space to a parking space.’