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Work has commenced on developing the former Mc Ardle family home in Upper Chapel Street into an Irish language community and heritage centre for the growing Irish speaking population of the city.
Contractors Kelly Mc Evoy Brown Developments of Castlewellan, County Down, secured the contract for the renovation and extension work that is set for completion by September 2012. Newry architects Milligan Reside Larkin have designed the centre which retains the original bungalow structure at ‘Mount Saint Patrick’ and which involves the addition of a Gaelic League multi-purpose hall and two attached tutorial rooms.
The bungalow will be transformed to accommodate meeting and teaching facilities and a local history gallery with library. The Project is mainly funded by Ciste Infheistíochta Gaeilge (CIG), a recently established body which has an overall capital budget of £8m to cover Irish language development schemes across the north of Ireland, and by Comhaltas Uladh, the Gaelic League’s Ulster Executive.
Newry and Mourne District Council have committed £100,000 to the Project and it is this trigger-funding from the Council that attracted CIG, the main funding partner. Upon completion of the Gaeláras Mhic Ardghail building programme, the Gaelic League in Newry will continue to function as a voluntary community-based organisation which offers its teaching and heritage programmes free of charge to all those interested in the Irish language and local studies.
