COMMENTS made by celebrity architect Hugh Wallace last week on national radio have ruffled some feathers in Clonakilty.
Speaking on The Oliver Callan Show on RTÉ Radio 1, the presenter of both The Great House Revival and Home of The Year described the town as a ‘dump 25 years ago’, but added that it has since been transformed due to investment in the town.
However, locals have pointed out that the town was actually the overall winner of the National Tidy Towns Competition in 1999 – the last Cork town to have achieved such a feat – so it wasn’t that bad visually.
Diarmuid Cregan, co-chair of Clonakilty Tidy Towns, said that the town was far from a dump 25 years ago.
‘We appreciate the way the town looks now, but I think he could have gone back maybe 30 or 40 years ago, because by 1999 the town was looking well and we won the overall award at that year’s National Tidy Towns competition,’ said Diarmuid.
‘It takes a lot of work and effort by a lot of people and groups to get the town looking so well and Clonakilty was certainly looking better 25 years ago.’
Speaking to The Southern Star, Hugh – who is currently filming in West Cork for his new series of The Great House Revival – said he stands over what he said about the state of the town then.
‘The main street was very bad at the time and I remember thinking it was like a horror show. I love West Cork and love Clonakilty now, but it was a place you couldn’t get through quick enough before,’ he said.
‘Whereas now I purposely make sure I have two or three hours to stop and shop there, as there are so many great retailers in the town. There’s a real can-do positive attitude by the business people and they support one another. The townspeople and commercial businesses and Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce have served the town well and turned it around.’
Former town councillor Cionnaith Ó Suilleabháin said using the word ‘dump’ to describe Clonakilty on national radio was harsh.
‘By 1999, things were definitely moving in the town so if he said 30 years ago, he may have had a point, as most Irish towns weren’t looking great in the early 80s. We had lots of people in the town driving it on by the late 90s, to make it the town it is today.’
Kela Hodgins, chair of Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce, said what is important is the recognition of how far Clonakilty has come.
‘The decisions made over those years, driven by an energetic community and local representatives, mean that Clonakilty has a heart and is vibrant. It’s a town centre that people want to shop in, live in, and socialise in.’
