Update on Parish Hall From Maynooth Parish Website

Posted on 22. Jul, 2010 by admin in St Mary's Parish Maynooth News Notes

I wanted to put an update on our parish website in reference to the Parish Hall, in case anyone
was not able to attend at the parish masses last week, where I gave this announcement.

As most may know, the Parish Hall of St Mary’s Parish, Maynooth was closed in October 2008
on Health and Safety concerns following its condemnation by Mr James Cummins, an architect
working on behalf of the Archdiocese of Dublin. This inspection was at the request of the Parish
Finance Committee. Since then the derelict hall, apart from being so unsightly, has been a health
and safety risk, especially on account of its location beside the school playground.
I announcement over the weekend that the Parish Hall is to be demolished and I have had generally
a very positive reaction, especially by parishioners who have sons attending the school. The parish
have contracted Hegarty Demolition Ltd to demolish the hall with work commencing on Tuesday,
3rd August, to be completed before the school reopens after the summer holidays.
The Parish Finance Committee has spent the last two years examining how best to use the parish
land that adjoins St Mary’s Boys’ National School. After consulting the Finance Secretariat of the
Archdiocese of Dublin and after much consideration, the Parish Finance Committee decided to offer
the Board of Management of St Mary’s Boys’ National School the land at no cost to the school.
This transfer of land prioritises the interests of the school above the interests of the parish. I think this
is very important and fully agree with it.Transferring the land to the school preserves the integrity
of the site. It removes the on-going uncertainty concerning the land and the use of the land and thus
will help in the future development and planning of the school.
I was asked why does the parish not sell the land to the school. St Mary’s Boys’ National School is a
Parish School. Both the school land and the parish land belong to the St Laurence O’Toole Trust.
As such it is not possible for the St Laurence O’Toole Trust to sell land to itself.The Board of
Management of the Boys’ School are very grateful for this initiative of the parish.
At its meeting on Tuesday, 29th June the Board undertook to pay the cost of the demolition of the hall
in appreciation to the parish, a decision very welcomed by the parish.