By Dan Walsh at Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Meeting
Recently, 60 people gathered in the Loch Garman Arms Hotel to support the newly formed Gorey Community Development Group where Cllrs Diarmuid Devereux and Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin represented Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council.
At last Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the district authority Cllrs Devereux and Ó Súilleabháin submitted a motion of support that was unanimously accepted by the members.
It read; “Following a major public meeting attended by several community organisations on the 9th of February, this Council notes that the meeting voted unanimously in favour of the Council working with the newly formed Gorey Community Development Group to explore the need to keep the Market House in public ownership, restore the Market House as a cross functional community, heritage building and explore the development of a multi-use community centre to the rear of the Market House.”
Cllr Joe Sullivan, supporting the motion, stated that the Market House is falling into a further state of disrepair and the proposal is good and represents people who want to develop the Market House, including many organisations, and gives everyone ownership.
Cllr Devereux said the inaugural meeting of Gorey Community Development Group had 40 organisations represented and here is support for securing a positive future for the Market House.
Cllr Willie Kavanagh favours anything that supports old buildings. He wondered if some group could take a lease on the property.
Cllr Anthony Donohoe supported the motion and said that basically terms and conditions would have to apply for any investor coming in.
Cllr Pip Breen noted that the Market House would need an awful lot of TLC (tender loving care) but if no expressions of interest were forthcoming to go down that road.
Director of Services Ms. Liz Hore agreed that a town the size of Gorey needed a community building where diverse groups would come together. She outlined that the December meeting agreed at “one last attempt at expressions of interest” and lodging a new procurement process for the Market House, which is a protected structure.
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