Holidaying in Ballymahon

Shamrock Shore · April 01, 2015, 08:35:01 AM

"One of the UK's largest holiday resort firms is to seek planning permission for a development in Ireland that could create 500 jobs.

Center Parcs UK is concluding negotiations with the State forestry board, Coillte, for a forestry village resort to be built near Ballymahon in Co Longford.

It is expected that 600 jobs will be created in the construction stage.

With five forestry based village resorts and a turnover of over €400 million, Center Parcs run some of the most successful family holiday venues in the UK."

I did check many times to see if this was an April Fool's joke but it ain't!

We'll have the welcome mat down for all ye hoors now to holiday in Longford in years to come!

Rossfan · April 01, 2015, 10:05:22 AM

No April fool at all. First mentioned on S'side lat week.

gerrykeegan · April 01, 2015, 10:24:46 AM

I can see this conversation in houses in years to come. Dad. Can we go to Disney land this year. No son sorry. How about lego land? No son sorry. Well where are we going? Longford son we are going to Longford. You're the worst Dad ever. What did I do to deserve that.

AZOffaly · April 01, 2015, 10:30:23 AM

And the adults might have a Las Tipperary in Horse and Jockey to go to as well. Great days.

Bingo · April 01, 2015, 10:30:47 AM

The centre Parcs are very big in the UK and northern Europe, I'd have thought there would be a market for them in Ireland and they are independent camps with the plan for visitors to stay in the camp for the week, so location not really relevant.

They are quite expensive though with a lot of extras when you do get on site.

Shamrock Shore · April 01, 2015, 12:08:14 PM

LOL @ gerrykeegan

My thoughts exactly

seafoid · April 01, 2015, 12:09:19 PM

Babysitting, entertainment and larries. And why not ? Longford is a very laid back county as well.

laoislad · April 01, 2015, 12:32:24 PM

I've been to paradise but I've never been to...ehh Longford....

Billys Boots · April 01, 2015, 12:35:32 PM

Well, if they want them to stay in the camp for the duration of their stay, spending loads of cash, they certainly put it in the right place.

Bingo · April 01, 2015, 12:43:57 PM

On the way to Galway recently for a stag we pulled into Ballymahon to, errrr, stretch the legs.

Anyways, within ten minutes the stag (dressed as a cow) was laying in the back of a hearse and was driven up and down the yard behind the pub. The hearse was heading out the yard to do a few laps of the town with your man in the back till the driver suddenly got an ounce of sense.

Great wee town.

laoislad · April 01, 2015, 12:45:45 PM

Quote from: seafoid on April 01, 2015, 12:09:19 PM
Babysitting, entertainment and larries. And why not ? Longford is a very laid back county as well.

I knew a young wan from Ardagh who was fairly laid back alright.
In fact she spent a lot of her time laid on her back anytime I was with her..

Shamrock Shore · April 01, 2015, 01:16:13 PM

QuoteIn fact she spent a lot of her time laid on her back anytime I was with her..

I'm sure it was all downhill for her after you exited, stage left, laoislad!

weareros · April 02, 2015, 11:38:16 AM

I'd be wary of this. During the excesses of the Celtic tiger years a Canadian resort developer Newfound Properties or something was planning a big Eco hotel complex in Boyle. Most were in favor of this and big buzz in Roscommon Hearld. I wrote a few posts on sites like RealBoyle saying this would destroy the natural beauty of Lough Key and I was ayten alive. Thankfully Taisce did not approve and there was uproar with them when they did not approve. What happened that developer? Went out of business. If it went ahead we'd have the mother of all Zombie hotels on the shores of Lough Key to compliment all the ugly ghost estates Roscommon County Council approved around the county.

Rossfan · April 02, 2015, 01:04:14 PM

There were to be 300 houses in that Lough Key proposal too if my memory serves me right.
Every Councillor and Chamber of Commerce type were leppin up and down roaring an shouting in favour of it.
These Centre PARC's seem a bit more permanent than a gang of trans Atlantic chancers. Only question is will it be another place staffed by foreign agency staff hired back at home on €2 an hour for 7 months a year.

The Insider · April 02, 2015, 04:56:50 PM

Maybe St Munis/Forgney can tap into the tourist market and have a team again ! .Dont know how the Chinese owner of Newcastle house will feel now . He had plans for a Cartown House type of development beside the proposed new venture . Must be something in the air that all these plans are hatched . No one must have told them what lurks under the soil just up the road from both ventures .