The Old Courthouse in Rathcoole was officially opened by Cllr Francis Timmins, deputising for the Mayor, on Friday 24 May, following the completion of major capital upgrade works by South Dublin County Council, to conserve and protect the original Old Courthouse building and add a new extension to provide for additional community space.
The Old Courthouse, a historically significant and conserved structure, located on the Main Steet of the Village has played a key role in the life of the local community since before the turn of the 1900s, performing a variety of roles throughout the years.
Originally a court of petty sessions up until 1924; the old courthouse became the site of a local library until the early 1970s and then a key community hall facility and home to a variety of local community groups under the stewardship of the Rathcoole Community Council right up to the early 2000s.
Consultations with the local community around the future usage of the building commenced in 2018 and plans developed to both conserve and upgrade the fabric of original courthouse but also to build an extension to the rear of the building to accommodate an additional meeting room, additional toilets, a kitchen/café area and outdoor courtyard.
Funding for the works was allocated from the Council’s Capital Programme Budget and in addition funding was also secured to support the project from the Department of Rural and Community Development under their Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
Speaking at the official opening Cllr Timmons stated that:
‘The Old Courthouse upgrade project again provides another example of South Dublin County Council working hand in hand and in partnership with the local community, in a focused effort, to conserve a key historic community building and to achieve a significant positive community benefitting project’.
The Old Courthouse will be managed by a local management committee, made up of local community reps, reps from Rathcoole Community Council and members of the Council’s local Community Department Team.
Chairperson of the management committee Alan Fairman speaking at the official opening thanked the various local community volunteers involved in the many different aspects of the Old Courthouse project and thanked the Council for the huge support and work completed by many different council departments to make the project a huge success.
Alan also went on to state that the local management committee ‘aims for the Old Courthouse to become vibrant Community Hub and a key venue to host a wide range of events in the fields of Arts, Culture, Literature, History and Heritage’.