Trevor Connolly, Drogheda BID on street art, vacancy, online-retail, & remote working impacts

Place Engage · County Louth: Trevor Connolly, Love Drogheda BIDAs part of Place Engage's 26-county, 26-week placemaking tour, Carol Tallon sits down with Trevor Connolly, CEO of Love Drogheda Business Improvement District, in the heart of Ireland's largest town.Trevor represents around 1,500 businesses, and in this conversation he walks through what it takes to keep a town centre alive: the street-art murals bringing Boyne Valley mythology into Drogheda's laneways, the facade and planting projects brightening the streets, and the Love Drogheda gift card that has locked over €1 million of spend into local businesses. He and Carol also dig into the harder questions — commercial vacancy, the relentless rise of online retail, and how a town earns a visit rather than assuming one.The standout thread is the human one: how remote working is quietly deepening community life in a commuter town, giving parents back the time and energy to coach clubs and show up locally — and why a town centre's opening hours may need to catch up with where people now actually spend their week.A conversation about retail, resilience, and the everyday craft of placemaking.