Free WiFi coming to Mullingar Town Park

Mullingar Town Park is set to become one of Westmeath's first free outdoor WiFi zones.

By the end of the month visitors to the park will be able to avail of high speed WiFi, which will enable them to watch Netflix or Facetime their friends while out in the fresh air.

Cllr Andrew Duncan hopes that the provision of WiFi by the council will entice more people to use the already popular amenity.

The Fine Gael man raised the issue at a recent local authority meeting but was informed that the budget wasn't there.

However, after the park became one of the first public spaces in Ireland to be awarded a Green Flag, it appears that the council had a change of heart.

It's expected that a free WiFi service will be up and running by the end of the month.

"I think that the park is under utilised. I think that young people, in particular, who want to use free WiFi shouldn't have to depend on going to McDonald's or other venues.

"The park isn't utilised enough and should be developed more. It's a wonderful amenity and we've got to get more people in there, this is one way to do it.

"If young people are going to be on their phones or their iPads, it's better they’re doing in the park than being stuck on their sofas," Cllr Duncan told the Westmeath Examiner last week.

Mullingar's first skate park was opened in the town park in March 2015 and has proved popular with skateboarders, BMX bikers and scooter users.

The park's status was further enhanced on July 22, when it was one of 22 public spaces to be awarded a Green Flag.

The internationally recognised awards are marked on eight criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.

Cllr Duncan, who thanked the director of services Declan Leonard and his staff for supporting his proposal, would like to see the park used by as many sections of the community as possible and the provision of free WiFi should help attract people.

"I just hope now we get a bit of good weather," he says.