Cavan County Council has approved planning for the redevelopment of the Fairgreen in Blacklion. The proposed development, which will include replacing "Mooney's Hall" is a partnership between the Council and the local community to create a new public amenity in the village. Cavan County Council acquired the bulk of the Fairgreen last year and, previously, Killinagh Community Council acquired 'Mooney's Hall' some years ago. Now, a new street facing building on the footprint of the current Mooney's Hall will provide shared office space, meeting rooms for use by local business and additional office space for Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Cllr John Paul Feeley welcomed the news; "This proposed development is a partnership between the Council and the local community and will create a new public amenity in the village, outdoor seating, car parking including electric charging points," he explained. "Most importantly it will provide a replacement to Mooney's Hall as a community building. Funding of just over €50,000 was secured to bring the project through detailed design and planning. There is no funding in place for construction at this stage but having planning in place will allow the Council apply for funding in conjunction with the local community in the future."
Cllr Feeley continued; "It may be down the road and it may be done on a phased basis over the coming years but we now have a clear plan to put in place top quality buildings which will really improve the village and provide excellent facilities for the wider community. A conservative estimate of the cost of construction of the entire project currently stands at about € 3.5 million so a phased approach is most likely to bring this to a conclusion. I want to acknowledge the work of the Council staff involved and the Architects who assisted especially Ronan Fitzpatrick of Craft Studios. I look forward to working to secure funding to get the work underway in the years ahead."
