Dundalk's Green Church renovation part of PEACEPLUS action plan

St Nicholas' Church of Ireland Dundalk, known locally as the Green Church, has been included in Louth County Council's proposed PEACEPLUS Action Plan, with around €812,000 proposed for renovation works to make the church more suitable and usable. 

The PEACEPLUS Action Plan was noted by councillors at the Louth County Council March meeting, after it had been agreed by the PEACEPLUS Partnership on 6 February and subsequently approved by the Local Community Development Committee on 19 February, with the value of the project coming to €4,679,354.

The plan for the church comes under the Community Regeneration and Transformation theme of the PEACEPLUS Action Plan. It was informed by and based on reasons including:

• Encouraging as wide an engagement across the Louth area as possible through the activities including in disadvantaged areas and with target groups;
• Wider needs analysis linked to other strategies - both local and regional, such as Economic, culture and arts, sports and biodiversity, climate change, etc;
• Fit and alignment with Louth County Council's Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP); 
• Previous PEACE IV projects

The church, which has a capacity for around 600 people, boasts a long track record of hosting and organising musical events, with previous events including: "Carols by Candlelight" service; Harvest Festival; and the provision of a venue for groups or artists, including, Louth Contemporary Music Society, the Oriel Traditional Orchestra (a Ukrainian chamber music group), and Music Generation.

Modernisation and restoration of the church is needed, the Plan indicates, to allow it to continue to host events and also grow in its capacity to do so, with the following works proposed:

• Reintroduction of the Southern Gallery with an access stairway (dedicated education and rehearsal space)
• Internal decoration
• Upholstery of wooden seats
• Upgrading of toilets
• Improved lighting and sound equipment
• Improved access

The Louth County Council PEACEPLUS Partnership says that the renovation project will make the church significantly more suitable and usable. In its current use, it is seen as allowing communities come together in a shared space with a shared goal, and demonstrates the role of the PUL (Protestant/ Unionist/ Loyalist) community in the heart of Dundalk and allows for cross community integration via a shared interest.

The Partnership envisages that the project could run in cooperation with organisations such as Music Generation, Comhaltas Ceoilteoirí na hÉireann, the Louth Contemporary Music Society, and reach out to across communities of the North East region of the island. It adds that if the project were to proceed then the capacity of the church to host events on a cross-community basis would be greatly enhanced.