Meath County Council are set to benefit from funding of up to €7 million under THRIVE, the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme, awarded under the Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027.
This funding will be utilised to regenerate “St Finian’s Seminary Study Hall” in Navan’s Cultural Quarter which is a rare example of an oval shaped building with planimetric design and is currently derelict.
Following significant citizen and stakeholder engagement and the exploration , preservation, conservation and potential end uses were workshopped. This led to the design for St Finian’s Seminary Study which was co-created by the citizens and stakeholders in Navan in line with the Town Centre First Framework.
Welcoming the funding award, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD said:
“A significant €32M is being allocated today across the five urban centres so that publicly owned vacant and derelict heritage buildings can be restored and renovated. Having visited many of these towns and seen the buildings earmarked for rejuvenation I can safely say this funding will make a massive difference. I want to commend the communities and indeed every tier of government involved, from a European, Regional and Local level, in bringing these projects to fruition. The THRIVE fund is empowering communities to shape the future of their urban centres by identifying opportunities which will help ensure their long-term vitality. I very much look forward to seeing the substantial regeneration which will arise out of this funding and which will strengthen the economic, social, and cultural vibrancy of towns throughout Ireland.”
The design for St Finian’s Seminary Study Hall is to convert this building into a new Community Hub and County Archive. The public realm will be restored in line with the natural gradient of the space to create a natural amphitheatre and along with the renovated hand ball alley will provide outdoor space for cultural and artistic performances and events and will provide linkages to other cultural buildings in its proximity and the historic core town. The community hub will be used for community meetings, workshops, classes and training and it will also act as a community exhibition space. The County archive will provide an appropriate space to store historical records, photographic collections and industrial heritage collections which will be available for academics, schools, historians, archaeologists and citizens free of charge.
Enda Hogan, Assistant Director of the Southern Regional Assembly, said:
“The user experience will be prioritised throughout the design process by considering factors such as comfort, functionality, accessibility and aesthetics to create spaces that are not only visually striking but also highly functional and enjoyable to inhabit in line with the New European Bauhaus values and principles. This new community hub and County archive will create a permanent, designated, inclusive archive space, available free of charge, which will create new opportunities for the people of Meath and beyond to connect with their history. It will also provide and exciting new space with huge potential for community, civic and creative engagement with the citizens of Navan.”
David Kelly, Director of the Southern Regional Assembly, said:
“This significant Government and ERDF investment, through the Regional Programme will have a transformative effect by breathing new life into this historic building and will enhance the social and cultural vibrancy of Navan town. The project will act as a significant catalyst for revitalising Navan town centre and provide visible benefits of the support provided by the EU for our region and people’.
THRIVE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union under the Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027.
Further information is available on the website of the Southern Regional Assembly at https://www.southernassembly.ie/eu-programmes/sem2127