It will breathe new life into the market town.

And with the Macroom bypass due to open this Friday, December 9th, local business owners and traders are looking forward to a busy holiday season.

Situated midway between Cork City and Killarney, Macroom has a population of almost 4,000 people, but increased traffic congestion has badly affected trade and quality of life in the town in recent years, leading to calls for the N22 bypass.

“We look out the window here in the pharmacy, and it is just bumper-to-bumper with no one intending to stop in the town,” said Henry Murphy of Matt Murphy’s Pharmacy.

“There are already signs of increased footfall, which of course is a hugely important step in rebuilding the town’s identity. It will be the first time in many years that both locals and visitors will be able to park with ease and truly appreciate all that Macroom has to offer.”

“Macroom is one of Cork County’s only traditional Market Towns and we have seen trade and tourism seriously impacted by the build-up of traffic,” added Cllr. Ted Lucey.

“If you mention Macroom to anyone, even locally, they know it as a bottleneck. Businesses and local residents in Macroom are delighted to see the new bypass open and look forward to providing memorable experiences for old and new visitors to the town.”

The Lee Valley Enterprise Board is encouraging the people of Macroom and surrounds to shop locally this Christmas, and the Board predicts that if every adult in Macroom spends €50 in the town, it would bring in over €150,000 in revenue.