Senator’s call for Book of Kells Heritage Centre

A call for Failte Ireland to fund the development of a Book of Kells Heritage Centre has come from Senator Dominic Hannigan. He made the call during an Oireachtas debate last week on tourism and job creation. “A Book of Kells Heritage Centre could become the key destination for visitors to the Boyne Valley and County Meath. This is a really worthwhile project which will bring jobs and increased tourist income to the county,†he said. Senator Hannigan told the House about the refurbishment work currently being carried out on the courthouse in Kells. “This beautiful building could become the nucleus for a heritage centre, thereby giving tourists an opportunity to learn about the Boyne Valley and the historic town of Kells,†he said. He added: “I have heard many great ideas from people in my own county and I firmly believe we have the potential to grow employment, particularly in areas like tourism, agriculture and green energy industries. At present, all we hear is bad news but, having consulted with many people in Meath, I know we have the talent and enthusiasm to recover. We have what it takes to get our economy back into shape.†The heritage centre in Kells has been closed for over a year because the council cannot afford the running costs. The building is also in need of urgent repairs and work started recently on repairs to the roof of the building. The council has submitted a plan to Failte Ireland, which involved exploring the town's link with the Book of Kells and the rebranding of the centre as the Book of Kells Heritage Centre. The Book of Kells is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country, and it is hoped in Kells that a Book of Kells Heritage Centre could attract the people who go to see it in Trinity College, Dublin, to Kells to see the town from where it came. The heritage centre is housed in the former Kells Courthouse. The building was designed by Francis Johnston and dates from the early 1800s. The building of the courthouse was financed by the Headfort family as a gift to the people of the town. The famous Kells Market Cross is currently located outside the centre. A ninth century high cross that was originally located at the gate of the Kells Monastery in the centre of the town, it was removed from the town centre in the mid-1990s following a traffic accident and relocated to an area in front of the heritage centre.