Search

22 Oct 2025

'Tipperary Town is a great place to live and its strengths should be promoted'

'Tipperary Town is a great place to live and its strengths should be promoted'

Tipperary town is a great place to live.

 

 

 

 

Tipperary town needs to reinvent itself as a service centre rather than a market town, the man tasked with economic development in Tipperary County Council has said.

Tipp town native Pat Slattery also said the planned march in the town on October 20 will not stem the decline of retailing.

Despite the drop-off in Main Street retail outlets, Tipperary town remains a great place to live and its strengths as a residential and service town should be promoted, said Mr Slattery, Director of Community and Economic Development at Tipperary Co. Council.

Mr Slattery was speaking at a meeting of Tipperary Cashel Muncipal District Council and referred to a statement from a new group that is planning the protest march later this month.

Members of the #march4tipp group recently appeared on RTE's Primetime programme and outlined their frustration at what they termed lack of economic development in the town.

Padraig Culbert, Des Brasil of Brasil's Restaurant and Shane Kelly of Tipperary Town Chamber of Commerce were interviewed on the show.

And in a follow up statement, they said that the march on October 20 was a critical opportunity to get political action to revive the town.

“We need everyone on the street that day. That will be the first march, only the first action. There will probably need to be more. There will be challenges along the way, but we will prevail as a community together”, he statement said.

In response, Mr Slattery said the planned protest march would not stem the decline of retailing, which could only be done through collective action from local groups, business people and public representatives.  

He added that there was no point in looking for a bypass for Tipperary town in the short term, and that Tipperary will not recover its old family run retailing shops.

He explained how the town has changed significantly in the last 40 years, from market town to service centre.

Tipp’s population in 1961 was 4,600 and in 1981 it was just under 5,000 people, and its current population remains the same.  

It is not a dormitory town as 1,300 workers commute each day and over 2,000 jobs are located in Tipp town. Of the residents living there, a total of 39% work locally, 23% elsewhere, 16% commute and over 20% are considered ‘mobile’.

 He also outlined the incentives for economic development in the town, including Town Business Premises Enhancement Scheme; Retail-Commercial Incentive Scheme: Rates incentives over 3 years; On-line Trading Vouchers – up to €2,500 support small businesses to start or enhance their on-line trading; Entrepreneurial and Capability Development: Mentoring Programme - €400 – 1200 to help business with particular difficulties; Food academy , helping start up food businesses and is supported by local Supervalu stores, and the Student Enterprise Programme. 

Additionally, there is a Business Support Officer, Anthony Fitzgerald, who manages Council land, business parks and assists enterprises coming into the county.

There were also improvements in broadband and the development of a Digital Hub and other Initiatives include the Munster Vales tourism campaign, run jointly between Limerick, Cork, Waterford and Tipperary, and the feasibility of linking the town to Aherlow via a greenway, along with a proposed river walk.

“The changes, although incremental, are similar to many other Irish towns, where changes in retail spending, closure of large employers and migration to rural areas have occurred,” explained Mr Slattery.

 “Most business owners and community leaders lived in the town, now they live outside. RTÉ did highlight the town as having a strong community, but Main Street has some vacant units and there is high unemployment.  The town remains a great place to live and raise a family, so we should emphasise the town as a residential and service town. 

“Many of the family shops are no longer present and are unlikely to return. I have highlighted what is being done, but in addition to what we are currently doing, what additional actions are required to address the needs of Tipperary?”

Mr Slattery urged Councillors to make a list of all vacant units (town centre and large industrial units) and their ownership, and establish an inventory of those available for redevelopment; list those who choose not to develop, and impose derelict site levies, or full rates to encourage usage; use vacant shops to advertise local businesses – food, services; and continue with the painting enhancement scheme. 

Some other initiatives include identifying small scale development-based initiatives based on local needs, acquiring a vacant building in the town centre and developing 'hot desks' and small business units. 

In relation to the N24 bypass, long-term it’s  “critical that the council re-examine the town inner relief road to take traffic off Main Street,” and they should identify sites for executive style housing.

“There’s a need to provide executive housing for commuters,” added Mr Slattery, “and protect amenities for those who will invest their future in the town.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To continue reading this article,
please subscribe and support local journalism!


Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles.

Subscribe

To continue reading this article for FREE,
please kindly register and/or log in.


Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news!

Register / Login

Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.

Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.