McElroy dreams big for local business

A PROMINENT local businessman has said he believes that Omagh could be capable of becoming “one of the most tourist-friendly towns on the island of Ireland.”

Hospitality tycoon Michael McElroy maintains that, with a coordinated and concerted effort, the county town could attract large numbers of visitors from Belfast, Dublin and further afield.

Last weekend seen upwards of 10,000 people pass through a food festival that was held in a sprawling white marquee in the car park located behind Mr McElroy’s Main Street Complex.

The event was hosted by Mr McElroy, run by Urban Events, supported by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, and included dozens of stalls from both local and out-of-town businesses.

“Firstly, I have to say the food festival was an incredible success. The number of people that attended and the volume of compliments we received from both traders and customers speaks for itself,” began the local entertainment entrepreneur.

“What we seen at the weekend should be taken as an example of what town centre business in Omagh can look like. That is where our collective aspirations should be set. They should be big, bold and beneficial for everyone. They should be a rising tide that lifts all boats.” Mr McElroy went on to explain that he is currently seeking planning permission to keep the tent erected. If successful, he will be making it available for others who wish to run events in the heart of Omagh.

“A lot of people will be aware that I got planning permission to build a brand new state-of-the-art multi-purpose entertainment unit and a number of parking spaces in the same site where the tent is erected.

“That permit was for a 10,000 sq ft unit. However, I have since decided that the plans I have require a bigger space. Therefore, we are submitting a new application for a 15,000 sq ft development.

“It will probably be a couple of years before that is completed. In the meantime, the idea is to keep the marquee up to get people into the town centre.

“But it’ll not just be for Mickey McElroy. It will be for whoever wants to use it. Why bother going to the considerable expense of erecting your own tent when you can come here and make use of one in such a prime location?”

Mr McElroy then went onto explain how these plans will have ‘huge spillover’ benefits for the wider economy, particularly the nightlife and hospitality industry.

“Nothing beats creating a bit of business in the town centre, and that’s exactly what the marquee will do.

“It’ll be available for boxing, dancing, music, darts, whatever. And the beauty of it is that everything will always be finished by 11 o’clock, which means that, as the big tent empties, the bars and clubs will fill up. And not just Main Street; I’m talking across the whole town.”

Economic dream

Fleshing out his vision, Mr McElroy explained the preconditions he thinks necessary to bring this economic dream to fruition. “This town needs more stuff like the food festival. It needs big events that draw people to the town. We need a monthly market, if not a weekly one.

“But to have this sort of stuff, and to have it regularly, we need all parties to take collective responsibility and collective action.

“I am here; I’ll act. Council need to act. Omagh Chamber of Commerce need to act. Other local businesses need to act. And I am not criticising anyone here, least of all council. All I am just trying to do is encourage support that will help bring about a future that is brighter for us all.”

Mr McElroy then tried to ‘put into perspective’ what sort of support projects such as the food festival require.

“Money. Plain and simple. To run events like that you need money. We are not talking hundreds of thousands to run our events for us. But we are talking a reasonable bit of financial support to help us do what we have proven this town is capable of. Give us a helping hand and we won’t let you down,” he said.

Mr McElroy then encouraged the council to revise the way funding is distributed across the district.

“I know it’s called Fermanagh and Omagh, but not everything has to be split down the middle. There are 14,000 people in Enniskillen and there are 21,000 in Omagh. That is not a 50/50 situation, so, when it comes to grant funding and business support, it should not be a 50/50 split. The equation should reflect the population and its needs.”

Before concluding by thanking Thomas Ferris from Urban events and Terrina and Conor from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Mr McElroy outlined a fantasy that he hopes will soon become a reality.

“When the A5 is built and lives are being saved, I don’t want to hear the conversation turn to how people from Omagh can now get to Belfast in 45 minutes or Dublin in an hour and a half. I want to hear it spoken about the other way around. Let’s have some confidence in ourselves and what we can offer. Let’s talk about how fast people from the big cities can get to us.

“If we build it, they will come. Let’s offer them facilities and opportunities that they have to come and see.”