Published: Wednesday, 28th October, 2009 5:00pm

The Last Post for Cootehill Courthouse

The last post rang out for Cootehill Courthouse (right) yesterday (Tuesday), when the final sitting of the district court took place before it moves to Cavan Courthouse from next month.

Presiding Judge Sean MacBride said he was sorry to announce the closure of the courthouse but he had to so for health and safety reasons. Cootehill District Court would now be held on the first Thursday of every month in Cavan town with the family law sitting moving to the fourth Tuesday.

He said: "Cootehill and Bailieboro courthouse had an effect on my health, while Castleblayney has also been closed and moved to Carrickmacross."

There were now three courts in Cavan: Virginia to look after the south of the county, Cavan to cater of the centre of the county and Ballyconnell to deal with the west of the county.

"These three courthouses have the proper facilities to dispense justice. It had been proposed to have only one courthouse in Cavan but I have fought to maintain the three and have been successful."

He pointed out that there were only two court sittings in Leitrim - in Carrick-on-Shannon and Manorhamilton, two in Sligo - Sligo town and Tubbercurry, while his native Donegal has also been cut back.

"It doesn't give me great pleasure to have to close this courthouse here today but we have to comply with health and safety. The public now have dignified places to go to and consult their solicitors."

The outspoken judge added that both Cootehill and Bailieboro were not suitable as courthouses because of rising damp. He had just recovered from a serious illness when he contracted swine flu.

The conditions in Bailieboro were appalling with fungi growing on his bench as well as dry rot, he added. "The conditions were barbaric."

Twenty years ago the size of Cootehill Courthouse was double what it is now but the floor area was reduced by 50% and offices were built to accommodate administration staff for the council.

Ten years ago the medical profession moved out and it was not good enough to expect a judge to sit in such conditions. "This would not be tolerated in any civil society," said Judge MacBride.

Under these circumstances he was left with no options but to close the courthouse. They now had three good courthouse with the proper facilities. "I share the pain of the Cootehill losing a courthouse and I know what it's like to have a courthouse close." He was not talking down to the people of Cootehill and was telling them the truth, he concluded.

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tommii

Unregistered User
Nov 1, 08:48
Comment ID: 1880

Health and Safety reasons.......? Is he kidding. What is this, the 19th Century. Rising damp....?

It can only be described as shameful when a sickly judge can pass sentence on a building designed by Sir William Dean Butler, or that a community and country can allow buildings to be riddled with rising damp to such an extent that the only solution is vacate.

I should have thought the numerous Architects in the town of Cootehill or the vast number of expat Architectural professionals spawned from St Aidans Comprehensive Cootehill and Bolton Street Dublin could not have come up with a solution that could have fixed this "rising damp" issue.

Having spent the last 27 years away from Cootehill and only recently visited I can say with some sorrow that this is a prime example of why I stay away, the dilapidation of a beautiful building at such community expense and disruption for what could be the least of expense compared to what the "fat cat" politicians waste on numerous fruitless expenditures is nothing short of disgraceful

O where is my beautiful Cootehill going
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Robert David Wright

Unregistered User
Mar 30, 02:48
Comment ID: 2789

This rising damp issue is derived from a complete and utter lack of preventive maintenance and care for the building by all responsible governmental bodies. How old are the windows? Has the council responsibly budgeted for renewal of heating and dehumidification equipment which is required to prevent the spread of mold? Equipment like this would also help release their liability if severe sickness should be encountered. That is one point of view.

Second point of view; Since the year 1993 I'll bet that the cost of one dehumidification system is less than the total cost of paid lunches in any two months since 1993. Energy efficient windows are even less of a cost. The reward gained in preservation would lower the present budgeting requirements for new construction in the future if the money was saved responsibly.

Third; The Court house is not just a ruined building it is a symbol of justice no matter who built it. When a digger was driven through two buildings to steal money less than 150 meters away why would you want to remove the value of the existence of the court house. I would not want to risk the possibilities of a reduced presents of our justice system.

Last but not least; I overheard on a bus from Cavantown to Cootehill one evening that Cootehill "is a one horse town". Tommii, I say to you don't ever give up preservation of your history there. Cootehill is great place to be.

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