Public invited to consultation on Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Park Project

Donegal County Council is pleased to announce a public consultation process for the ‘Cathedral Quarter Park’ Project in Letterkenny.

The new urban development project will create an exciting new park with a Creative Enterprise Hub in Letterkenny’s Town Centre. 

This exciting project is funded by the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), a flagship initiative of Project Ireland 2040. The project will focus on the redevelopment of an existing underutilised backland site tucked away between Church Lane and Speer's Lane, to the rear of Main Street.

The public is invited to drop in to the Himalayan Café on Church Lane on Thursday, October 16, anytime between 3-8pm to find out more and give your ideas on what makes a good urban park and what a creative workspace means for you. The design team will be present on the day to hear your ideas which will help shape and inform the development of this urban project.

In announcing the project, Cllr Ciarán Brogan, Mayor of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District said: “This project will substantially transform this hidden backland area and create a multi-functional green space for residents and visitors alike. It will activate this disused land and encourage people to dwell and use this space in a multitude of ways, resulting in greater footfall, spend and activity in our town centre. 

“I am excited to see this project progress and encourage all ages to come out and get involved in the consultation process, including our young people and those in the creative sector”.

An Integrated Design Team has been appointed on behalf of Donegal County Council to take this project from vision to reality, overseeing the project’s steps from design, planning process and construction. This is led by award winning Architects Hall Black Douglas and also comprises The Paul Hogarth Company as Landscape Architects and Urban Designers, both of which were involved in the Award-Winning Letterkenny 2040 Regeneration Strategy. 

Lead Architect Alistair Beckett, of Hall Black Douglas, said: “We are excited to take this project from a masterplan concept to a tangible funded project on the ground, which will provide for an inclusive, accessible and sustainable town centre parkland and a much-needed workspace for the existing and emerging artist community. 

“This Creative Enterprise Hub will strengthen the creative community in Letterkenny and provide a mix of gallery, studio and flexible working space, integrated within in a newly designed green landscaped environment in the heart of town”.

Eamonn Brown, Acting Director of Service, for Community Development & Planning Services said: “This urban project forms part of Council’s wider Letterkenny 2040 Regeneration Strategy, and is integral to the enhancement of the Cathedral Quarter. It will build on a range of existing and ongoing public realm projects, such as the historic restoration work along Church Lane and the redevelopment of the public realm at Market Square. The project will also complement existing cultural assets in our town, such as An Grianán and the Regional Cultural Centre. The Council has acquired land off Church Lane as part of the wider project and the Regeneration Team will continue to engage with landowners and stakeholders to secure further land acquisition and ensure the delivery of this URDF secured project”.

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Donegal County Council’s Regeneration & Development Team invites you to get involved in a number of ways: Call into Himalayan Café, Church Lane, Letterkenny on Thursday, October 16, anytime between 3pm-8pm and meet the team.

Give your ideas by completing this short survey. Email egeneration@donegalcoco.ie. For background information on this project please see: Letterkenny 2040.

As the project progresses there will be further opportunities to get involved.

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Is mór ag Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall próiseas comhairliúcháin phoiblí a fhógairt don togra ‘Páirc Cheathrú na hArdeaglaise’ i Leitir Ceanainn – togra forbartha uirbeach ina ndéanfar páirc nua a fhorbairt chomh maith le Mol Fiontair Cruthaitheach i Lár Baile Leitir Ceanainn.

Tá an togra iontach seo á mhaoiniú tríd an Chiste Athghiniúna agus Forbartha Uirbeach (URDF), togra suaitheanta de chuid Tionscadal Éireann 2040. Sa togra seo, díreofar ar shuíomh tearcúsáide ar thalamh cúil a athfhorbairt. Tá an suíomh seo suite idir Lána na hEaglaise agus Lána Speer, ar chúl na Príomhshráide.

Tá cuireadh ag an phobal bualadh isteach chuig an Chaifé Himiléach ar Lána na hEaglaise ar an 16 Deireadh Fómhair 2025 am ar bith idir 3-8pm le tuilleadh eolais a fháil agus lena gcuid tuairimí a phlé maidir le cad is páirc mhaith uirbeach ann agus cén tábhacht atá le háit oibre chruthaitheach dóibh. Beidh an fhoireann deartha i láthair ar an lá le héisteacht leis na smaointe rud a chuideoidh leis an togra uirbeach seo a threorú agus a fhorbairt.

Rinne an Clr Ciarán Brogan, Méara ar Cheantar Bardasach Leitir Ceanainn-Bhaile na nGallóglach an togra a fhógairt agus dúirt, “Tiocfaidh athrú mór ar an talamh cúil de bharr an togra seo agus déanfar spás glas ilfheidhmeach a fhorbairt do chónaitheoirí agus do chuairteoirí araon. Beidh úsáid bainte as talamh seo nach bhfuil in úsáid faoi láthair agus spreagfar daoine le cónaí agus le húsáid a bhaint as an spás seo ar go leor bealaí, rud a chuirfeas le líon na ndaoine a tharraingeoidh ar an áit, le caiteachas agus le gníomhaíocht i lár ár mbaile. Tá mé ag súil leis an dul chun cinn atá amach romhainn agus molaim do dhaoine, idir óg agus aosta a theacht amach agus a bheith páirteach sa phróiseas comhairliúcháin, an dream óg agus iad sin in earnáil na cruthaitheachta, ina measc”.

Ceapadh Foireann Deartha Chomhtháite thar ceann Chomhairle Contae Dhún na nGall le fís an togra seo a fhíorú, agus le maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar chéimeanna éagsúla an togra - an dearadh, an próiseas pleanála agus an tógáil. Tá an obair seo faoi stiúir Ailtirí Hall Black Douglas a bhfuil duaiseanna bainte acu, le tacaíocht ón chomhlacht Paul Hogarth atá ina nAiltirí Tírdhreacha agus ina nDearthóirí Uirbeacha. Bhí baint ag an dá dhream seo le Sraitéis Athghiniúna Leitir Ceanainn 2040, straitéis ar bronnadh duaiseanna uirthi.

Dúirt an Príomhailtire Alistair Beckett ó Hall Black Douglas “Tá muid ag dúil leis an togra seo a thabhairt ó choincheap an mháistirphean go togra inláimhsithe, ina ndéanfar páirc a fhorbairt i lár an bhaile atá cuimsitheach, inrochtana agus inmharthana chomh maith le spás oibre d’ealaíontóirí reatha agus dóibh sin a bheidh ag teacht chun cinn; spás a bhfuil géarghá leis. Cuirfidh an Mol Fiontair Cruthaitheach seo go mór leis an phobal cruthaitheach atá i Leitir Ceanainn agus cruthófar spás ina mbeidh leithéidí gailearaí, stiúideo agus spás oibre solúbtha, imeasctha i dtimpeallacht ghlas nuadheartha i lár an bhaile a bhfuil tírdhreachú déanta uirthi”.

Dúirt Eamonn Brown, Stiúrthóir Gníomhach Seirbhísí Forbartha Pleanála & Pleanála, “Tá an togra uirbeach seo mar chuid de Straitéis Athghiniúna Leitir Ceanainn 2040 atá faoi stiúir na Comhairle, agus tá sé lárnach i bhfeabhsú Cheathrú na hArdeaglaise. Tógfaidh sé ar réimse de thograí leanúnacha atá ar bun sa réimse poiblí, macasamhail an obair athchóirithe stairiúil atá ar bun ar Lána na hEaglaise agus an athfhorbairt ag Cearnóg an Mhargaidh. Lena chois sin, cuirfidh an togra seo leis na háiseanna cultúrtha atá ar an bhaile cheana féin, leithéidí An Grianán agus an tIonad Cultúrtha Réigiúnach. Fuair an Chomhairle talamh gar do Lána na hEaglaise mar chuid den togra níos leithne agus leanfaidh an Fhoireann Athghiniúna leis an phlé le húinéirí talaimh agus le páirtithe leasmhara chun tuilleadh talaimh a fháil agus chun a chinntiú go gcuirfear an togra URDF seo a ceadaíodh, i gcrích’.