Castlerea

Castlerea
On the trip to see Castlerea for the first time, we (the students) were asked to complete a mini scavenger hunt. We had to find the price of a scone at a particular deli, than we had to find out the average price of a cow, and if the local pizza places would deliver. The trip in general was fun, but Castlerea gave out a different vibe than any other town we have visited. Castlerea is a small town in CO. Roscommon. Not as small as Ballintubber, but still small. Castlerea is a dull and grey town; at least those are the words I would use to describe it. Most of the shop keepers are friendly, but most of the general public there will pass you by without even a smile. The town is abandoned; every other shop there is closed down. I heard it was partly because the town never recovered from the recession. Castlerea has a main street where all the shops and pubs are located. There used to be a hotel there, but since it has closed, the other businesses (shops. Etc.) Have suffered from a lack of tourism. Once a week one of the pubs will host an event such as traditional music, but that is not enough to attract any large amount of attention. Once a week, every Thursday, there is a livestock market held which brings many residents from other towns, which is the busiest day of the week where the most activity is seen. One day during this trip, I went into the town of castlerea and talked to all the shop keepers. I asked them what they think of our project and if it might benefit their town in any way. Many of them said that it would be a great idea if we could eventually get the castle to a point where people were welcome to look around and tour the castle, because tourists would have to drive through their town and doing so could potentially bring more business to the area. Even though that day is far off in the future if even possible, it is good to know that our project has the support of the surrounding towns, not only the community in which we live and work.

-Kayla Ward