Background

Clones is the main town in West Monaghan with a population of 1885 persons in April 2022 (CSO) serving a wide rural hinterland including east Fermanagh. Clones, located along the N54 midway between the towns of Cavan and Monaghan, and 35km from Enniskillen, has historically been the service and employment for this wider rural area.

Clones Town

The overall character of Clones is typified by a contrast of the grandiose formal buildings fronting onto The Diamond and the small scale residential and retail properties adjacent to this. Due to the topography of the town, the surrounding landscape is often visible, and this provides a rich contrast to the developed town and built form. The streets vary in character from a built-up urban form such as with Fermanagh Street, to the rural nature of Ball Alley, typified by the high dry-stone wall which surrounds the abbey ruins set against views into the adjacent landscape. An interesting feature throughout the historic town of Clones are the number of arches and archways that link the backland areas of the main streets with interesting and appealing spaces, once vibrant and full of residential activity. The town has retained the feel of a principal town, typified by the dominance of the two churches and the scale of the public space at its heart. The planned nature of its layout, and the scale of its civic buildings, particularly in The Diamond, harks to a more prosperous past than most towns.

Clones Town

Similar to other rural border towns, Clones has been subject to various challenges in the last few decades but has through the efforts of the Towns people with support from the Town Council/County Council initiated a series of significant interventions in the Town. This has included the development of the Peace Link Campus, Clones Artists facility, development of Clones Heritage Trail, the redevelopment of the Market house and building of the Clones Marina.  The Clones Renewal Scheme involving the reuse of a variety of properties providing new housing in the town centre. Future projects involve the development of the  Clones Monastic Centre (successful under recent RRDF call) and the Clones Business Hub.

There remains the need for the Town to increase its population, and sustain its role as a service and employment centre for this wider rural area. Consequently, there is the need to provide further social, recreational and economic foundation to encourage residential development in and around the town.

Progress

Monaghan County Council provided with funding from the Town Centre Town Team Support Fund  to initiate Town Centre Health Checks for Clones, Ballybay and Castleblayney and supports for the Town Teams.

July 2024 – Queens University, Department of Planning, Belfast appointed to undertake Town Centre Health Checks for Clones.

Announcements

Clones Collaborative Town Centre Health Check >>

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