Kilmurry McMahon

Kilmurry McMahon

Location and Context

Kilmurry McMahon is a small village, centred on St. Mary’s Church, and consists of a small cluster of houses and farm buildings. There is a shop and post office at the junction with the R473 to the south of the settlement and a primary school and community centre to the north of the village, which provide services to residents of the village and the wider rural hinterland.

Kilmurry McMahon offers a high-quality rural environment for those seeking to live in the countryside and is also a convenient distance from Kilrush. It is a traditional crossroads village situated on the R485, a busy commuter route to Ennis and Shannon. There is an existing public footpath connecting the school and community centre.

There is no wastewater treatment infrastructure in the village. Any future residential development including alterations to existing residential developments, commercial or employment generating development will require private treatment subject to suitable sitespecific conditions and must ensure they are in compliance with the EPA Code of Practice for ‘On Site Wastewater Treatment Systems’.

General Objectives:

• To encourage the incremental and small-scale expansion of the settlement that is relative and appropriate to the scale, size and character of the population and services in the village; • To support the provision of infrastructure to allow for future growth of the village; • To support traffic calming in the village in order to address traffic and pedestrian safety; • To improve the footpath network in the village, in particular linking the national school to the village centre, shop and post office; • To support the Local Link Rural Transport strategy including the development of direct rural bus links from Kilmurry McMahon to larger settlements such as Ennis and Kilrush; and

• To support the development of a settlement network along the Shannon Estuary including Kilmurry McMahon along with Ballynacally, Killadysert, Knock, Labasheeda and Killimer, to assist collaborative projects and the sharing of assets and strengths including developing its economic and tourism potential as a stopping point on the

Shannon Estuary Way.

Employment and Enterprise

Agriculture remains an important part of the local economy in the smaller settlements around the County. In order to support economic development, the Council will facilitate and

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encourage farm enterprise and Agri-tourism in Kilmurry McMahon as well as supporting home-based economic activity where feasible. Proximity to Kilrush provides employment and educational opportunities within short commuting distance.

Tourism

Kilmurry McMahon is ideally located on the Shannon Estuary Way providing opportunities for maximising tourism assets and developing additional facilities and services for visitors, in tandem with other key settlements along the Shannon Estuary Way. It is an objective:

• To facilitate the continued development of existing tourism assets and to support the development of additional tourist facilities and services along the Shannon Estuary Way.

Strategy for Growth and Sustainable Communities

The strategy for the sustainable growth of the village and its community is through consolidation and regeneration that promotes compact sequential growth and supports and strengthens a sustainable village community and its rural hinterland. This will be achieved by encouraging small scale growth in areas which make a positive contribution to the overall enhancement of the village and sustains it into the future. In line with this approach and to promote vibrant rural villages, village growth areas have been identified which provide opportunities and choice for development, including small scale commercial, enterprise, community, services/facilities as well as small scale cluster housing, all of which offers a viable and attractive option for rural living within a village community and setting.

There are three areas identified for village growth within the settlement. The Crompaun River runs to the west of the settlement and must be taken into consideration in any development proposals to ensure that any potential negative impacts are mitigated. Any development will be subject to strict compliance with the EPA Code of Practice for Wastewater Treatment systems and other uses appropriate to the size and scale of the village. Any proposals should enhance connectivity within the village and support the sustainable use of existing services and facilities. It is envisaged that growth would occur incrementally and over a longer period of time in a manner appropriate to the character and environmental sensitivities of the settlement.

Place Making and Regeneration

The village is situated in the heart of West Clare in a robust rolling agricultural landscape with significant areas of roadside tree cover. There are extensive picturesque views to the south which overlook large tracts of the countryside and Clonderlaw Bay. These views should be preserved in the interest of maintaining the landscape character and the village setting.

The incorporation of green features into public realm and other developments as well as the greening of public spaces will also enhance the overall amenity of the village and help to mitigate against climate change. It is an objective:

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• To support the preservation of key views to and from the village in order to protect the landscape character and setting of the village; and • To support the enhancement and development of public spaces and the overall amenity of the village.

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