Kells councillors plan meeting to decide fate of heritage centre

The future of the Kells Heritage Centre looks increasingly uncertain as town councillors and officials prepare for a special meeting to discuss the crisis looming because of falling revenues and outstanding need for major reconstruction in the 208-year-old building. Kells Town Council cathaoirleach Brian Curran is trying to organise an emergency meeting of councillors and officials to deal with the problem in advance of the ordinary monthly meeting of the council scheduled for September. It had been suggested last year that the centre should be shut down. The proposal was rejected but worsening council revenues caused by the economic climate and falling rates revenues due to the closing down of shops in the town, may prompt the council to revisit the suggestion. Conservation experts advised Kells Town Council three years ago that urgent structural repairs costing €1 million were needed on the centre. Cllr Curran said that the council had been conceerned about the loss of revenue at the centre over the last two to three years. He said that a number of factors had affected the centre, including the economic climate and the fact that people had been going abroad on holidays and this had affected the number of visitors to Kells. This had all happened despite the best efforts of the officials of the council and the staff at the heritage centre, which formerly acted as the town's courthouse. The centre, located in the old courthouse built in 1801, needed major repairs to its roof and to its interior, he said. The building had been used by the people of Kells for numerous exhibitions and social occasions but it had not served the purpose for which it had been set up, to promote tourism and bring extra footfall into the town, he said. "The future of the centre at the moment is in doubt. We can't definitely say it is going to close over the long term but major improvement is needed," he added. Labour Senator Dominic Hannigan said that the possible closure of the centre was "a potent symbol of how far this country has sunk". He went on: "This is a national disgrace. This centre has on display the finest reproduction of the Book of Kells anywhere in the world. Kells is a byword for Ireland's ancient heritage. For many foreign tourists, the Book of Kells is one of the few things they know about Ireland. "Now, when they go to the town, there will be no-one to explain its history or the many other attractions in and around the town. And I believe there are no plans to put the book on public display when the centre closes."