Doonbeg Community Meeting

0:00But it is golf that is starting the second hour of the show and of course the countdown is well underway to the Amgen R's show, which gets underway at Trump International Golf Links in Dumbag. Later this week and with the major golfing events set to bring plenty of activity to the area, there was a huge turnout at Dumbag community hall for an information meeting to find out more. I'm joined by Willie Hanran, chairperson of Dumbag community development and the local Fienafall Council of Rita McInerney. Thanks to both of you for being with us. Willie, we believe there was an impressive turnout at Dumbag community hall for the recent information meeting. I guess that level of interest, what does that tell you about how the community is feeling ahead of the big tournament? Yes, good morning, Alan. We're at a full house on the other evening in the local hall and you know there was really big, incredible interest in what's going on this week in the golf course. We had a lot of speakers. We had Joe Russell, the general manager to give these information.

1:02We had John O'Malley from the council and Adrian Kelly was the chief fire officer and then we had Ginny Drezel from the Italian, Gumbag development and tidy town. Ginny updated on what's going to happen for the fall to fest in the evenings and the led some DP world were there as well. We had Paul Gilman and Chris Opsson and of course we had the guards represented by Inspector Ronan at the matter. And there was lots and lots of questions and you know people are really interested in what's going on. People are very excited about this. It's a major major event for the area. Dumbag is absolutely looking fantastic and everybody is invited to come and have a look and stay and enjoy the hospitality and the good good humor that's there at the moment. So that's everything is good at the moment, Alan. Yeah, it sounds quite, it sounds like there's a good mood. Generally, Rita from what Willie is saying and it sounds like all areas that people might have questions on was covered. Are people do you find generally excited? Is there any concern over given the size of the event?

2:03It's a wonderful opportunity for the local area but maybe are people feeling dis-commoded because of course there'll be a huge turnout and then there's the not insignificant detail of the most powerful man in the world visiting as well on top of that. Well, I suppose the message we want to get us to everybody is that for the week, Dumbag is open. Dumbag village is open. There's no restrictions coming into Dumbag village anytime during the week. If you want to, for the whole week, if you want to travel from Kiki to Kiki to Kiki or Kiki to Kiki on the end of the 67, there is no problem. Up until Friday and then there will be some, there will be detours in operation. But the village itself is completely accessible. So it's trying to get that message out there because there's a lot going on. There's park and ride for those attending the MGM Irish Open. Then there's plenty of local parking adjacent to the village for people coming into the village.

3:07The main street itself, there will be no parking on the main street. That's the facilities, the park and ride and the double deck of buses that will be traveling through the village because we want everybody to be safe. The Gardy and the Garcante Council have worked very hard to ensure that the traffic management in place that allows traffic to flow freely and that pedestrians and motorists and everybody stay safe for the event. So they're the reasons for putting in the detours and things like that. But plenty of contingency has been put in place. So during the week it's business as usual. We expect extra traffic obviously, but it is business as usual in terms of anybody traveling on the M67. From the weekend, that's when we will see detours. Nobody will be turned away. There will be no restrictions on going into the Dunebeck village. But you may have to travel a different route to get here. And there's plenty going on in the village during Friday, Saturday, from our West Air Showcase in the community hall,

4:09which has lots of producers and artists just being their wares and selling in the community hall. And then we have the festival that has been sponsored by Garcante Council. So that is behind the community center. And there will be lots of exciting acts and music and entertainment, entertainment for the kids in the afternoon, over the weekend, and music entertainment at night, which will create lots of fun. And then you have the pubs and cells have put our putting on lots of entertainment for people to enjoy. And we have our restaurants and cafes and shops also providing host charity for people. And big West Air welcome. OK, so lots happening. And will you did one ask you about the business aspect of it? Because I'm sure they're very excited about the numbers that will be visiting Dunebeck. And what opportunities do they, and indeed you in the local community, see four local businesses around the Irish open?

5:09Yes. Well, they are the business can showcase their wares and what they're capable of achieving and presenting. They're unbelievable, worked on and all the businesses in the town. They have marked keys up in every one of them now. So in case we have weather, yeah, that's, I mean, there's no need to advertise the level of the, hospitality in the already in Dunebeck village. It's second to none. And now we have the, you know, in the middle of the village with the coffee, the dogs and we have, we have absolute everything for anybody. Nobody will go home hungry out of the village and plus, you know, we know the street has explained in the back of the hall and in the hall. We can showcase all the local developments and mean, do we have to mention the local contractors and well who have done an incredible job in the local park and rides. Martin Kelly has left and pulled out all the stops and anti-fteam in making the whole thing

6:09with Ron Spurgley, the fields have laid out. Everything has been put in place. The roads are an incredible shape to me. You can drive now until he eats it on big. You know, the road is absolutely fantastic. Great credit to the Calcote Council. Everything is coming in place. So we're looking forward to having him have a week, starting when Wednesday where the local community, there will be a kind of a community day up there. So for the, for the program and, you know, enough of a local people will be going on that day. You and you and Willie mentioned there, Rita, that the roads are in great name. You spoke earlier on about, obviously, the changes around traffic and so on that naturally will occur due to a vent of this size. Where their concerns raised at the community meeting from locals, you know, I guess broadly welcome the tournament and are excited to see, you know, the hubble around it. But, you know, I'm sure naturally enough have questions themselves about how restricted there'll be in terms of driving around or what changes they may have to make to,

7:10you know, their daily commute to work or wherever they might have to go. Yes, certainly lots of people had lots of questions. We're trying to get the message out there that, you know, everybody will be facilitated and particularly Monday to Friday. And people should be able to travel as normal. There might be some, you know, delays because there will be double-decker buses on the road. But that would be as normal as a very busy summer weekend, you know, bank holiday weekend or something like that. So it's a kin to that in that regard. Then come Saturday, Sunday and I will towards weekend from Friday. You know, there will be a security operation in place. Now, locally, we're quite used to this because we, you know, when there has been a visit by President Trump in the past, we've had restrictions in a particular area around the God's course. So those living in what we call that area around it will get passes.

8:12And the Guardie have visited everybody in that area who will be affected. So there will be a list or passes of people and people know who they are. They have been visited by the Guardie and they every other time in terms of business like this. The guards work very well with the local community and they help everybody out as much as possible. So I suppose there was questions around that and people wanting to know. So I suppose in conjunction with a visit, you have an event. So the two combined together, obviously, people are thinking that it will be ultimately more difficult. But, you know, everyone's been working very hard to ensure that it runs as smoothly as possible from the Amjanaers open and do my God's course and the Tehrkhand Council and the Guardie in the Conor to ensure that that happens. So we will keep things moving and get everybody to where they need to go for that period of time. I mean, it's a different ask if you are going to the Gulf, you know,

9:13it's going to be open. You just do park and ride. It's quite simple. But if you're traveling every day, you want to know that you can get to where you need to go. I mean, you have people who need home help. People who need to get to appointments, people need to get to work. So we're catering for all of that and everything will be, will be everybody will be helped in terms of getting where they need to go. And I'm sure when there's restrictions, but that will be after we get. Okay. And I should be able to get about with some semblance of normality on the Thursday and Friday. And Willie, I guess everyone in Dumburg just is hopeful that everything will, you know, go off without a hitch because it, I guess, you know, once there is excitement and anticipation around the week and particularly the Thursday to the Sunday, I'm sure people are thinking more long term in Dumburg. You know, what kind of lasting legacy is this going to leave for the area beyond the few days of the Amgen ours open itself that there'll be a lot of visitors from abroad. I mean, even visitors from elsewhere in Ireland who've maybe never been down this part of the country

10:14who they will be hoping will be impressed by their visit that they may return again at some point in the future. Oh, you know, in a minute highlights young vegan puts the big and West gear and the whole West gear area on the map. I mean, you know, people mean the guards course, the level of everything in the guard courses is absolutely fantastic. So people will be able to see what's there and come back and you know, the level of hospitality, the accommodation is available in West gear. All this is good for the area. You know, in the highlights people get used to coming to the test, they see some tests they never want to return. So we're hoping that there will be a lasting legacy from this, you know, from infrastructure, from everything that's just been a, it's a very positive time far going big and with the whole West gear area. Just to finish Rita, obviously a lot of questions answered at the information evening, but for residents listening who may still have questions are concerned, where would you direct them to in terms of getting reliable information and the run up to things getting underway on Thursday?

11:17Well, we have a website to make.info and on that there is a separate website for the Amgen Irish Open.Fallcher Fest was a fallcher Fest that we're running as in conjunction with the Amgen Irish Open. So this, so if you need to park and ride, certainly go to the Amgen Irish Open website. If you want information about Tumbeg and where the parking is available and access, you can go to the Tumbeg.info website and go to the fallcher Fest website. As Willie said, a lot of work has been put in locally and Tumbeg Tiger Towns has done an amazing job of making the place look look beautiful and you know, and men's shared have been involved and everyone has come together and we've been beautiful and mural that you might have seen on social media that is put together by a local artist. So that is when you talk about legacy, that will be an immediate one that comes to mind and also the work that has taken place in Lake View Park and you know, there are things with people we will have as a legacy as well as as

12:19the road infrastructure. So we will keep the information flowing and there'll be signage up as well for people and ultimately during the week if we're trying to get around, trying to get to clear killmills from from back west or off north, tear down to west, tear down to the land coast, there is no restrictions. And if I may Alan just before I go, I'd like to pay tribute to to Katie Taylor and her fight over the weekend. I just think it's such a historic moment and we talk about sports next weekend in Dumbag. I mean, you know, what she has achieved for female sports but for boxing in general, it was such an iconic event and she is in all time great, you know, and I just we were very very we know association with her but very proud of her as a female sports person and as an Irish person. Yeah, very well said, and I can't think of many sporting the athletes be the male or female who've retired in such a fitting fashion. Now,

13:21there really it's going to be hard to top that and look between Katie Taylor, winning her final fight and winning that last belt and going out in style and Ireland and Great Britain coming from behind to win the Walker Coppen L'Hinge which is rare enough. Hopefully the being Irish winner, the Irish open next weekend but even if there's not, hopefully it's just great tournament and great for Dumbag and thanks to both of you for joining me on the show the Dumbag Fienafol Councilor Rita McInerney and chairperson of Dumbag Community Development Willie Hanron with us on the show.