Pop-up event to reimagine the future of Headford town centre

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galway daily news headford main street meeting
Traders of Headford Main Street. Photo by Aengus McMahon

A free pop-up event will be held in Headford this Saturday, 4 June for the local community to get involved in reimagining a new future for the town’s centre.

Part of the Headfest festival line-up, the ‘Bloom Room’ event will discuss topics based on the ‘Reimagine Headford’ survey, which highlighted issues such as the declining main street, poor pedestrian experience and traffic management.

The event is a collaboration between Headford Town Team and architect and urban design specialist Deirdre Greaney, and a temporary space will be set up in a courtyard behind Mitchell & Co Solicitors on Headford Main Street.

Commenting on the event, Nathalie Weadick, Director of the Irish Architecture Foundation, said that we are at a major crossroads in Ireland as to how we use and reuse our town centres.

“With careful consideration, and the amazing work of people like the Headford Town Team, we have a chance to restore towns around Ireland to their vibrant hubs for every type of activity,” she said.

“This is a timely project, chiming with the objectives of ‘Places for People’,  Ireland’s new national policy on architecture, which ambitiously calls for the regeneration of local areas through our built heritage.”

Also commenting on the event, a spokesperson for Headford Town Team said that Headford is a small town with a ‘big heart and a strong community spirit’.

“Our Town Team is seeking to channel and implement some big ideas for our Main Street, which tap into our fantastic creativity to model the town centre we want to have for future generations.

“With flowers, plants and pots for pollinators by McGaugh’s Garden Centre, an ‘imagination playground’ by Bricí Spraoi, live music by Eoin Stiffe, an ice-cream cart, Brown Bag Donuts and much more, we are inviting people to come and enjoy this temporary community space.”

Bloom Room, in association with the Irish Architecture Foundation, is taking place on Saturday 4th June, 11am-3pm.