Cathedral Quarter column: Here's your chance to join our committee

Our organisation will be holding its AGM at Dillons Hotel in Letterkenny on Thursday, 12 March at 8pm, and we are looking for new members to join us.

Our mission statement is to regenerate the historical Church Lane street and surrounding areas to create a Cultural Historical Quarter in the heart of Letterkenny for locals and visitors alike to enjoy.

To achieve our aims in running an annual cultural programme of events that includes St Brigid’s Cross Making, Craft Fair, Street Feast, Heritage Week, Literary Festival and a Christmas Carol Trail. A central tenet of our organisation is that we are not worried about your place of origin, but if you live in and around Letterkenny, then you are more welcome to play your part in the development of the Cathedral Quarter.

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Presently, our committee is large in number but is very dedicated, and if we need a few more bodies, it would be extremely beneficial. We would love it if a person with expertise in organising events, fundraising or who has commercial experience were to join our committee. If you think you could play a role, then come along to the AGM.

Reversing Derelict Ireland
In the last article, I mentioned how delighted I was to see the lights on in No. 5 Church Lane after decades in darkness. But it is not only No. 5 which is undergoing renovations, there is also major work happening next door in No. 7 Church Lane. By the end of the year, two of these historic houses will be fully restored.

When we began the project back in 2014, half the street was derelict. No. 2 Church Lane was one of those derelict properties to be restored and now has a stunning ‘Lawrence Collection’ mural on its gable end. These developments have demonstrated that change is possible and we now hope No. 1, 7 and 9 Church Lane will undergo a similar transformation in the next few years.

While the Vacant Homes Refurbishment Grant introduced by the current Government has helped, it has been our organisation who have created the conditions for these transformations to happen. Our community model of heritage-led regeneration could be replicated in other parts of the State if only there were some leadership and vision in the Department of Housing. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that if the 19,438 properties in the country were fixed up, then we would not have a record number of almost 17,000 people being classified as homeless.

Transport Infrastructure
Everyone knows that the North West is an economically deprived area, as Donegal has the third lowest disposable income per person in the state, while Derry Strabane has the highest level of deprivation in the UK. The one thing that the region has going for it is the potential to create an all-year-round tourism industry.

But to achieve this, you need good transport links so people can access the region. The reality on the ground is that there is no motorway in Donegal, and we don’t have rail infrastructure either. One way that overseas tourists can connect to the area is by air, either landing in Donegal Airport at Carrickfinn or at the City of Derry Airport.

Late last year, the Dublin Government announced that it was re-establishing the Public Service Obligation air service between Dublin Airport and City of Derry Airport. The announcement was made with great fanfare. But the news that the removal of the midday flight service demonstrates that what they give with one hand, they merely take away with the other!