Summer start for major makeover in Laois village
Work is due to start by early summer on a makeover of Market Square in Ballinakill. File image
A MAJOR makeover of historic Market Square in Ballinakill is due to start this spring or early summer.
Work on the enhancement scheme, which will cost almost €300,000, is expected to start in the second quarter of 2026, a council meeting was told this week.
The picturesque village was awarded €297,000 for the project just before last Christmas, under the national Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS).
The regeneration of Market Square will include improved paving, landscaping and outdoor seating, together with upgrades to lighting and disabled parking bays.
The project also includes the introduction of a streetscape painting scheme for the village, which represented Laois in the 2022 IPB All Island Pride of Place competition.
An update on the regeneration project was given to Cllr John Joe Fennelly, at the January meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District (MD). The Abbeyleix councillor asked for a timescale on the commencement of works at the Ballinakill square, following grant approval.
Senior engineer Ken Morley, of the council’s town regeneration section, said in a written reply: ‘It is anticipated that works on The Square in Ballinakill will commence in Q2 (quarter two, April-June) of 2026.’
He added: ‘A definitive timeframe for the works will be determined following the issue by Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht of the funding agreement associated with the scheme.’ At the MD meeting, a council official confirmed for Cllr Fennelly that the project would be completed this year.
Cllr Barry Walsh said he was delighted to see funding awarded to the village, particularly as the Ballinakill Community Development Association (BCDA) is a great and very active group.
The village near the Laois-Kilkenny border, which hosts the annual Twin Trees art festival, is renowned for its natural beauty and rich heritage, with nearby national tourist attractions that include the internationally famous Heywood Gardens.
The annual TVRS provides grant funding ‘to stimulate economic and social regeneration and future development’ of small and medium urban centres.
