Yesterday, Thursday 24th October 2024, was a proud day for the people of Rathmullen and there was a big turnout for the official opening of the new Community House which has been in the pipeline for at least three years.  

But good things are worth waiting for and boy did the locals show their appreciation! Especially the hundreds of children from all of the local schools. After all the formalities and speeches were over there was a definite street party atmosphere developing as Drogheda Life was leaving.

This was a project very close to the heart of Mayor of Drogheda, Councillor Paddy McQuillan who says he has been working on the project alongside many organisations and individuals for over three years. Before cutting the ribbon to officially open the new Community House he said: “It is impossible for me to disguise how happy I am standing here today.”

He had a lot of people to thank for making this day possible including Louth Local Development, Louth County Council, the Drogheda Implementation Board, LMETB sub groups and everyone involved.

“Ciaran Reid, Eileen Mc Dermott, Miriam Finnegan and of course Maeve Harkin and I know staff members who are present.  John Mc Entaggert and his TUS team who put in a mighty effort all over the estate. Fantastic job!  Thank you all” the Mayor continued.

“Everyone who participated in Southside Voices. To all the residents of the area, Brenda, Katrina, Boon, Liam, Carol….too many to mention that welcomed Eileen and Miriam with opened arms.

"Last but by no means least, a massive ‘thank you’ to Louth County Council and in particular Joe Mc Guinness and Finbar Gethins. Please thank the crew that transformed this vacant house into the amazing space it is today.

“A community house like this does not just happen overnight. It takes dedication, commitment, and hours and hours of effort. As you will see when you go inside, it is a credit to the council workers who have created this magnificent community space.

“This Community House was one of the recommendations from the Geiran Report and the Implementation Board made is a reality.  As Mayor of Drogheda, I hope they know not just how grateful I am, but how grateful every citizen is for their efforts.

“This Community House does not belong to us. It belongs to the residents in this area. It is a symbol of not where we were but where we are going. Forward together.

“On a personal level I am immensely proud of the small part I have played in making this happen. I was born and raised 200 metres from where we stand. I grew up on these streets. My friends are from these streets. We have been through a lot, but we stood strong. We stood strong because this is our community and communities stand together.

“This Community House begins a new chapter for our residents. I believe that it will be a huge success.”

In a powerful congratulatory speech, the Chairperson of Louth Local Development, Frank O’ Brien, said: ‘this is a really important day where we continue to develop and deliver services in the heart of the community.

“Using a bottom up approach the views and needs of the community were listened to and are now reflected in the programme of activities which will be carried out in the Community House.”

“This new Community Service is in response to a recommendation as set out in the Vivian Guerin report, the Drogheda Implementation Plan, to develop a community hub in the Rathmullen area.

"From a Community Development perspective Louth Local Development look forward to working positively within the Rathmullen area to identify and address the needs of the community with local residents by using a collaborative and interagency responsive and resourceful approach.   

"In preparation for the service opening the SICAP (Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme) Community Development team have embraced a “boots on the ground” engagement strategy within the local Rathmullen Community across the last few months.

"The team has eagerly visited residents in the community to introduce the concept of the new Community House and to plan a schedule of events for the Autumn and Winter period whilst also working on a number of collective initiatives such as Southside Voices and Social Inclusion events." 

Local residents and several representatives from various statutory, community and voluntary agencies together with the local national and secondary schools including St. Paul’s Senior National School, Marymount National School, St John’s National School and Saint Oliver’s Post Community College enjoyed the electric atmosphere of the event.

Michael Keogh, Chair of the Drogheda Implementation Board welcomed the opening of the community house which he described as “a great example of interagency cooperation between Louth County Council and Louth Local Development, one of the main planks of the Drogheda Implementation Plan. 

“We would like to congratulate both agencies on the collaborative approach taken on this project which will provide a valuable community resource and will restore a real pride of place to the families in the area.  It also builds on the work carried out in the Southside Voices project which was also supported by the Board. “