Ballyjamesduff courthouse to get new lease of life

Thomas Lyons

One of Ballyjamesduff's most recognisable landmarks has been given approval by the local authority to transition to the next stage of its life. Ballyjamesduff Community Council have been granted permission by the planning department of Cavan County Council to convert the old courthouse into a community centre.

After 13 years of disuse the facility will return to public use thanks to the endeavours of members of Ballyjamesduff Community Council.
Suzanne Willis is the chairperson of Ballyjamesduff Community Council (BCC). The Council have been working on the restoration since 2009. 
“We are hopeful that work will start in September. We have a grant from the Heritage Council of €10,000, and we have to match those funds. Repairs will start before the end of the year. We will apply to Leader for further funding, and we hope that the entire project could be completed in 12 months,” Ms Willis said.
The three-bay single-storey courthouse was originally built in 1927. Designed by Cavan architect and civil engineer Patrick Joseph Brady it replaced an earlier national school building which fulfilled the legal function.
The historic building was one of seven courthouses including Arva, Bailieboro, Belturbet, Cootehill, Dowra and Kingscourt that closed since the early 1990s. It served its final official legal function in 2004.
Approval has been granted to convert the courthouse into a community hall with ancillary rooms, a new single storey toilet block extension and all the associated site works. The application noted that the works are within the curtilage of a Protected Structure at Cornahilt, Ballyjamesduff, Cavan.
Ballyjamesduff Fine Gael councillor Paddy Smith: “It is a quaint looking building. It has been sitting there for quite a while, the community council didn't want it to get into disrepair.”
The community council have sought funding to carry out a number of improvements.
“The roof needs to be repaired and there are a number of other areas that need to be addressed. Money has already been received from a number of sources,” Cllr Smith said.
“We felt the need to kick start a programme to regenerate the courthouse.
The Community Council, led by Suzanne, have been in negotiations with the council for the last number of years. This did not just happen overnight,” fellow Community Council member Trevor Smith said.
 

Former glory

The move to restore the building to its former glory are many and varied. Preventing it becoming a site for anti social behaviour and providing a community resource are just two of these.
“There is a lot of help behind the scenes,” Ms Willis said.
“We need that community support to show it will be used. We have the parochial hall at the moment, but it is a large space and is not suitable for a number of groups. It will be used for a variety of groups and to promote interculturalism.”
The conditions attached to the granting of development permission by the council include that the works will be overseen by an accredited conservation architect and undertaken by a skilled person with relevant expertise. A construction management plan has to be prepared that will detail the intended construction practice for the development.
Other conditions include directions on water and wastewater, traffic safety, amenity and that the structure will only be for community uses.