Fianna Fáil Councillor, John Paul Feeley has welcomed the commencement
of work on Dowra Courthouse. The main contractors moved in to commence
work on the site in December 2012 and significant progress has already
made on the building.
‘I, and the local community are very pleased to see the long awaited
work on Dowra Courthouse underway. It is the most significant building
in the village and the fact that it has lain ideal and semi-derelict
for so long made a very poor impression on visitors to the area. This
work will give back the Courthouse as a vocal point in the village and
I warmly welcome the commencement of work.’
The former Courthouse and Garda Station had fallen into poor condition
and unsuitable for any use in recent years. The main contract
undertaken by Sean Quigley Contractors will see almost € 320,000 spend
on the building. Work will include the restoration of the main
Courthouse building, the demolition of storage buildings in the
Courtyard and the development of the area as open space, the provision
of an external glazed link corridor to the rear, internal lift, new
storage facilities and other works which will allow for the modern use
of the property whilst respecting the character of the building.
‘The signing of the Contract is to be formally noted by the County
Council at our January meeting (today 14th January 2013). Cavan
County Council through Head of Community and Enterprise, Paddy
Connaughton has taken the lead in the implementation of the project
and I want to acknowledge the work of the Council Staff and wish them
and the contractors well in bringing the construction phase of this
project to a successful conclusion.’
The overall cost of the project is estimated to be in the region of €
400,000 with funding secured from INTEREG 4A as part of the Harnessing
Natural Resources Project, funding a number of initiatives in Counties
Cavan, Leitrim and Fermanagh. Dowra Courthouse is the largest single
project in any of the Counties. The overall project is administered by
Cavan County Enterprise Board under the leadership of CEO, Vincent
Reynolds who played a key role in securing the funds which are matched
with 12.5% funding from the Government of Ireland and the Stormont
Executive. The funding from the Government of Ireland was secured by
then Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith TD.
John Paul Feeley
Fianna Fáil Member of Cavan County Council
