Castlebar councillors call for circus to be moved into military barracks

COUNCILLORS from the Castlebar area have said that the town’s military barracks should be used to host the circus.

Members of Castlebar Municipal District Council suggested that a circus currently in operation on the outskirts of the town be moved into the military barracks, which has occasionally hosted events since it was decommissioned.

Mayo County Council is to examine potential alternative sites for circuses in Castlebar after councillors expressed concern over a site at Milebush which has hosted circuses on a number of occasions.

Cllr Cyril Burke said the use of the site, which is situationed across the road from Umbro Park, was ‘of major concern’ to the local residents.

“There’s people loitering around their gardens at night, I don’t think it’s a great place for it. There’s no services there and it’s not fair to the residents,” Cllr Burke told the monthly meeting of the Castlebar Municipal District.

Cllr Ger Deere, who attended the meeting remotely, described the site as a ‘crazy’ and ‘totally unsuitable’ location for a circus or carnival.

Cllr Deere said that the military barracks would be ‘the ideal venue’ to host a circus or carnival and proposed that the site would ‘never’ be allowed to host similar events.

“There has been carnivals, circuses, you name it, over the years. We have it right in the centre of town and it’s nothing new to them,” added the Fine Gael councillor.

Cllr Blackie Gavin supported Cllr Deere’s suggestion to use the barracks for the circuit, citing previous events which had taken place their such as the ‘Horror In The Barracks’ charity event.

David Mellett, Head of Castlebar Municipal District, said that the Milebush site in question was privately owned.

Mr Mellett told councillors that he would come back with a report on potential alternative sites for the circus.