COLUMN: 'I'm assuming I was directed to the statement after publishing the column'

Boherlahan Community Association contacted me recently and pointed me to a statement issued by the Association on October 29, 2022, writes Darren Hassett.

I’m assuming I was directed to the statement, which I had already seen, after a column appeared in this paper on January 12, 2023, entitled: “What’s going on in Boherlahan? Nothing seems to be good enough…”

In the column, one of the things I wrote about was the controversy around the new parish hall and car park project.

The column read: “I’m not privy to the goings at the time regarding this project but by all accounts the original funding  is gone because we took too long to draw it down.  With in-fighting and new planning applications to change the location of the car park, the money went somewhere else. Dualla got theirs though and they’ve a lot to show for it. Boherlahan  has no new hall and won’t for some time it seems.”

I also wrote about the new road layout in the village after some criticism of the new design locally. The Boherlahan Community Association I understand did discuss issuing a rebuttal after the column was published, but I was instead pointed to a statement on boherlahandualla.ie which was posted on October 29, 2022, the majority of which is printed below:

“In recent weeks work has started on the Boherlahan Village enhancements announced last year by Tipperary County Council under its Town and Village Renewal Scheme. This work includes laying footpaths, improving traffic calming measures, installation of new LED public lighting, and road improvements.

“These developments are integrated with the proposals to redevelop the Parish Hall and the development of a car park area as mandated by the Community Hall planning conditions.

“As outlined in the Hall Redevelopment Update published last March 2022, a revised development submission was made to the Department of Justice IIP programme in light of the additional costs. Some additional investors have been identified and these are now undergoing the necessary approval process in the Department. The Community Association anticipates a successful outcome to this in summer 2023 followed by a three month timeline for receipt of funding.

“This will herald the next steps in the development work which will see a further design stage and public tendering process for the construction work. It is planned that building work will commence in 2024. Final decisions on the times and scale of all this work will be taken in 2023 dependent on finances and costings at that time.

“A car park and biodiversity area will also be developed as part of the Hall redevelopment. Rural Development Programme a.k.a. “Leader” funding has been applied for to support these initiatives and a favourable response received with the help of South Tipperary Development Company. It is anticipated that work to develop the park will start in early spring 2023. The Community Association is drafting a Community Development Plan for Boherlahan to identify required local services, set out a vision for our village and identify necessary facilities or resources.”

Having read the statement, again, I can confirm that I wouldn’t change a single word of the column I wrote in this paper on January 12, 2023.

I continue to hope that the hall and car project get over the line as quickly as possible. Only time will tell. Perhaps it’s not too late for Boherlahan just yet.