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Ferry closure a direct contributor to Town Clock closing

Posted Thursday, January 12, 2012

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Ferry

The road from Derry and the ferry from Magilligan are Moville and Greencastle's two main arteries which bring in visitors and tourist pounds and euros.

One of them, the ferry, has now been shut.

Greencastle businesses are being affected very badly with one local businessman saying that around a third of his business came via the ferry.

Moville

It is also hitting Moville businesses too with the Town Clock being especially hit.

It was always the case that, like the Waterfront, most of its eating customers came from out of town.

Indeed it has been estimated that as much as 80% of its diners came from elsewhere mainly up the Derry road or across on the Ferry.

With the Ferry shut that was one of Moville's two main arteries blocked.

We are now seeing the effect of the closure of the ferry on the two towns.

Licence Costs

The other hit that the Town Clock took was the big increase in the late night licence costs.

It used to be €210 a night and then that was put up to €410 and then €510 a night.

I've been told it's now up to €710 a night.

Extra Costs

With the cost of four bouncers, a DJ and staff and heating costs that's a lot of alcohol to sell.

Also, they used to be allowed to sell alcohol up to 2:30am but that was changed to 2am.

It's like getting a hold of a fly, pulling off its legs one by one and then its wings and then asking it to fly.

No Accidents

The causes of the Town Clock no longer being viable are not accidents but man made.

Either someone, somewhere didn't want pubs open with late licences or they thought it would be a great way of extracting extra money.

Now, they'll get no money from the Town Clock and the staff will all be out of work and claiming unemployment benefit.

One feels that this is a huge own goal.

When will they ever learn!