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The Trust which was founded on the 4th July 1997 is a legally constituted registered charity (CHY12393) dedicated to the improvement of the social, educational, environmental and economic infrastructure of the parish of Churchtown in the Ballyhoura area of north Cork. Auditors: O'Donovan Stewart Accountants Tel 01 662 4877 Bankers AIB Bank Tel 022 23 165 Legal Advisers Cusack McTiernan Solicitors Tel 01 676 2833 Graphic Designer Keaney Design Tel 01 843 7729 Architect Gerry Cahill Architects Tel 01 667 6799 Registered charity: Reference number CHY 12393 Web site: www.churchtown.net The Churchtown Declaration Churchtown will become an example to rural Europe that small communities can become sustainable by developing "bottom-up" strategies that are implemented locally with regional agreement and financial support. We have resolved to renew our own parish with or without outside support. External support will be gratefully accepted and will allow us to do it faster.
WHO IS WHO? SOCIAL ECONOMY ORGANISATIONS Churchtown Village Renewal Trust A registered charity (CHY12393) established in 1997 to support the social, environmental, educational and commercial development of the parish. The Trust operates as the strategic planning and national fundraising organisation for Churchtown. In February 2002 the Trustees decided to focus the Trust towards the provision of housing for the elderly and childcare facilities in Churchtown. Churchtown Development Association (Mallow) Ltd A registered charity (CHY13202) incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in 1999. The directors are made up entirely of parish residents dedicated to improving the whole parish. The Churchtown Development Association owns, on behalf of the people of Churchtown, the "Old School" which is operated as a Community Hall. Ballyhoura Development Ltd An organisation, based in Kilfinane, that administers a number of EU and State grant programmes and is headed up by Carmel Fox. Ballyhoura Fáilte A Kilfinane-based organisation that supports tourist initiatives in the Ballyhoura area. Blackwater Tourism A Mallow-based organisation that supports tourist initiatives in the Ballyhoura area. Cork North Enterprise A Mallow-based government sponsored organisation dedicated to developing enterprise and jobs in the North Cork area headed up by chief executive Rochie Holohan. European Urban & Village Renewal Scheme An EU initiative managed by Cork County Council.
This programme has made a huge contribution to the renewal of the
parish with grants in 1998, 1999 and 2001. COMMERCIAL ORGANISATIONS Ballyhoura Construction Ltd A company controlled by Maurice Gilbert who was responsible for the building of Padre Pio Nursing Home, the refurbishment and building of Boss Murphy House and is now the builder on the Bruhenny new homes development. Ballyhoura Health Spa Ltd A company controlled by Maurice Gilbert which has been established to develop a facility across from Boss Murphy's which will include a swimming pool, sauna, steam, hot tub, aerobics area, gym and dressing rooms. This facility is not expected to begin until up to 50 new homes are completed on the adjoining Bruhenny site. Boss Murphy's Boss Murphy's Ltd is the legal entity formed to develop a holiday facility in the centre of the village and now operates 18 en suite bedrooms and The Windmill Restaurant. Boss Murphy's Ltd applied for planning permission to upgrade to hotel status in February 2002. Boss Murphy Bars Ltd has been established to own and operate The Village Inn, a public house within Boss Murphy's. The Maruwa Wellness Sanctuary is the proposed name for a holistic health centre that will operate in the Stables at the rear of the Market House within the Boss Murphy complex of buildings from late 2002. These commercial enterprises are all controlled by Gerry Murphy Bruhenny Developments The trading name used by the developer - Gerry Murphy - in the development of a 10.5 acre site at Kerry Lane which received planning approval in February 2000 for up to 72 houses. Phase 1 and 2 consists of 17 houses facing on to a new village green and the upper end of Kerry Lane. Phase 3 was launched in April 2002 and consists of a further 18 family homes. Lake Cuneen This proposal, promoted by Gerry Murphy and Michael Barry of Barry Murphy Holdings, to build 85 Finnish style log homes and a leisure centre at the Burton Road in Churchtown is awaiting a planning decision.
The chairman of the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust, Gerry Murphy, declares his commercial business interests in the Boss Murphy operation and the Bruhenny housing development. These commercial developments are part of the renewal of Churchtown but are outside the scope of the Trust. For information purposes some details about these initiatives are included within this annual report. Gerry Murphy announced in the 2000 annual report that he intended to resign as chairman and a trustee having served five years on 31st December 2001. In late 2001 Gerry Murphy agreed to remain as chairman for at least another year. Thank You The Trust is extremely grateful to a wide range of individual people who supported its objectives over the last five years. Churchtown is a Georgian village with great potential. The village was rebuilt between 1832 and 1849 and much of what was created at that time remains intact. Churchtown is a community in North Cork whose people have decided that the best way to renew their parish and surrounding areas is by spending as much time as possible planning and then implementing decisions as quickly as possible. The Churchtown Village Renewal Trust is working
together with a wide range of public and private bodies to create
a model for Europe in village renewal. The key initiatives since
the Trust was founded in 1997 include: What was a sleepy village in 1997 has been transformed over the last five years as demonstrated in the following list of highlights: Social Initiatives: - Tidy Towns mark has improved from 147 in 1997 to 213 in 2001 representing an improvement of 45% and the community received an Endeavour Award as the most improved village in the South West in 1999. - A village community and conference centre has been developed in the old school at a cost of €380,000. This rural conference centre initiative was supported with a Leader 2 grant of €57,000 administered by Ballyhoura Development. The EU's Social Fund administered by FÁS supported this development under their Community Youth Training Programme (CYTP) and this support amounted to €175,800 up to 30.6.2000. - Over 75% of all houses in the village have been painted and decorated. This, and other street improvements such as hanging baskets, new signage and footpaths, was supported with grants of €34,543 under the EU's Urban & Village Renewal Scheme programme. - The Trust launched and maintains a most comprehensive web site at www.churchtown.net. - Churchtown Village Renewal Trust was adjudged a Regional winner in the AIB Better Ireland competition and received an award of €6,350 in 2000. - A Community Sports Stand is now under construction with dressing rooms underneath at a total cost of €381,000. Phase 1 will be completed in 2002 with the support of a Department of Sports "Lottery" grant of €101,580 to the Trust. The Sports Field has been developed by the GAA over the last 15 years and represents an investment of €127,000 to date. - Seven different country lane loop walks have been identified and are marked as "The Churchtown Trails" developed and sponsored by Boss Murphy House. - An "Introduction to the Ecology of Churchtown" brochure has been produced by the Trust. - Three bronze plaques detailing the history of the parish and costing €1,500 each together with a limestone plaque at the site where the creamery stood have been erected by the Trust. - A covered "Welcome and Information" display costing €4,571 has been constructed on the Burton Road by the Trust. - Just over €20,000 was invested in appropriate road and street signage by the Trust. - The Trust erected a bronze horse and jockey public sculpture in the village centre at a cost of €9,523. This sculpture is dedicated to Churchtown's substantial racing heritage as outlined on an accompanying bronze plaque. - A scheme of three social houses at Chapel View developed by Cork County Council in 2001 are now occupied and a further three houses are under construction. - Trust was Top 10 finalist from 2,500 projects throughout Ireland in the Annual FÁS Community Enterprise Awards announced October 2001. - Gerry Murphy announced as Cork Person of the Year 2001 in January 2002 for his work on the renewal of Churchtown. Independent and Commercial Initiatives - A new commercial holiday development - Boss Murphy's - opened in the village in July 2000 in a series of what were derelict buildings and now operates 18 en suite bedrooms and The Windmill Restaurant. Boss Murphy's received an ERDF grant of €190,000. - A €13 million development called "Bruhenny" of up to 77 new houses aimed at first time buyers has started and 17 houses are now sold. The developer - Gerry Murphy - was obliged to provide a contribution to Cork County Council of €160,000 towards water and sewage improvements. The Council recently announced that it was supplementing this contribution and that €381,000 in total would be invested in sewage and water improvements in Churchtown. This scheme is being built by Maurice Gilbert of Ballyhoura Construction Ltd. - Proposed development of a commercial Enterprise Centre at the Community Sports Grounds on Kerry Lane. Eircom have agreed to provide 500 high speed telephone lines and a broadband link into the national network at a cost of €63,500. The overall cost of this development estimated at €300,000 means that it must be carried out commercially rather than as a Trust initiative. - A new supermarket has been opened in the village
by the O'Flaherty - Boss Murphy's has received planning permission to develop a pub which is expected to be open in 2002. - The restoration of three derelict houses at Chapel Lane by Dave and Mary Thomas; a derelict houses on George's Street by Karen McAree; a derelict house on George's Street by Gail and Jack Mortimer; two derelict houses on Egmont Row by Liam Healy and a further derelict house at Egmont Row by Gerry Murphy. - A development of 5 private town houses at Burton View started in September 2001 by Mount Corbett Construction Ltd. - Planning approval obtained for development of 34 houses at Kerry Lane North (across from the Bruhenny site) by LBJ Ltd. Important Visitors 1997 to 2001 Minister for Education Micheál Martin TD and Dan Flinter, Chief Executive of Enterprise Ireland both visited the parish in 1999. President Mary McAleese accepted our invitation to visit on 14th July 2000 and a souvenir brochure and video of the occasion was produced by the Trust. Both are available on our web site. Minister for Rural Development, Noel Davern TD attended the Ballyhoura Development annual dinner in December 2000 in Boss Murphy House and on Tuesday 23rd January 2001 Jim McDaid TD, Minister for Tourism, Recreation and Sport turned the sod on our community sports field development. Trust History and Trusteeship. The objective of the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust is to support the social, economic, educational and environmental infrastructure of the parish of Churchtown. The Churchtown Village Renewal Trust held its inaugural meeting in the Community Hall in Churchtown village on the 4th of July 1997 when Michael O'Driscoll and Peter Stewart (as the nominees of the founder Gerry Murphy), Oliver Byrne and Margaret O'Brien (as representatives of the Churchtown Development Association) were appointed Trustees. Michael O'Driscoll was appointed chairman and Gerry Murphy, agreed to act as treasurer and secretary of the Trust. At the Trust's first AGM on 30th June 1999 Eileen Ahern O'Connor, incoming chairperson of the Trust's sister organisation the Churchtown Development Association, was appointed a Trustee and Michael O'Driscoll and Peter Stewart resigned. The Trust is grateful for the on-going support of Peter Stewart and the accounting firm of O'Donovan Stewart for their on-going audit support. Noel Lenihan was appointed chairman of the Churchtown Development Association for a two-year term beginning in December 2000. In 2001 the Churchtown Development Association re-nominated Eileen Ahern O'Connor and Margaret O'Brien as their representatives on the Trust. In addition the chairman of the Churchtown Development Association nominated Peggy O'Flaherty to the Trust. All these nominations were approved by the Trust. The Trust would like to thank Oliver Byrne for his important contribution while he was a trustee from 1997 to 2000. In 2001 we will welcome up to 14 new families into our parish as they have purchased new homes on the Bruhenny site and it is inevitable that these people will begin to involve themselves in the further development of the village by getting involved in the Churchtown Development Association and the Trust. Re-focused Future In February 2002 it was agreed that the Trust would focus its attention on the long-term provision of rented housing for the elderly and the development of a childcare facility in Churchtown. It was also agreed that the Trust would seek to become self sustaining financially as a social economy not-for-profit business with its own executive staff reporting to the trustees. In view of the revised focus it is now vital that the existing board remains in office for an extended period but equally important that new young blood is introduced in view of the long term nature of what is planned. With this in mind the trustees met in February 2002 and decided to invite two younger members of our community to become involved as Trustees. The new trustees proposed were Rosemary O'Flaherty, Egmont and Bríd Lyons, 5 Bruhenny. This will bring to seven the number of trustees. It was further agreed that Gerry Murphy should continue as chairman and that Eileen Ahern O'Connor would act as treasurer and Peggy O'Flahery as secretary. A new Trust deed is to be drawn up to reflect and formalise these appointments and to facilitate the Trust changed focus. EU Support It will be very clear to readers of this our fourth report that Churchtown has received much support for its renewal plans from a wide range of State bodies many of which are funded with European Union support. If people want evidence of the relevance of the European Union in the lives of ordinary citizens it is all within these pages. Promoting Churchtown The Churchtown Village Renewal Trust is very conscious of the need to give Churchtown a high national profile and has invested considerable time and financial resources in promoting the parish to key decision makers at national, regional and county level. Up to now this, in essence, is the difference between the Trust and a typical local parish association. The Trust is also conscious of its role as a national advocate for rural renewal. A key part of the communications strategy has been to produce high quality printed and other promotional material and this served to heighten awareness of Churchtown among key decision makers. FÁS On 25th June 2001 the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust was awarded the FÁS South West Community Initiative Award. At the time the Trust issued the following statement which speaks for itself. "On behalf of the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust and the Churchtown Development Association it is indeed a great pleasure for our community enterprise initiatives to be recognised by FÁS as an award winner. "Over the last five years we have made incredible strides in renewing the lovely Georgian village of Churchtown which nestles in North County Cork between the Blackwater River and the Ballyhoura Mountains. "We do have a multi-faceted seven year renewal
plan to 2005 in Churchtown and sometimes we sum it up by saying
"we want Churchtown to become the "mini-Adare" of
North Cork by creating sustainable commercial employment in tourism
and related activities. Of course, in order to do so the wonderful
heritage of Georgian stone buildings in our village must be presented
in an environment that looks its best. Without FÁS support
this would not be possible. "FÁS's contribution has been enormous providing the human resources essential to make things happen quickly. For instance, without the support of FÁS we could not have improved our Tidy Town mark by 41% in three years. "Without the support of FÁS we could not have developed a village community and conference centre in the old national school. The EU's Social Fund administered by FÁS supported this development under the Community Youth Training Programme. "Likewise, without the support of FÁS we would not now be seeing our new Community Sports Stand and dressing rooms rising skywards at our parish Sports Grounds. "On the 29th January 1999 in our village we issued "The Churchtown Declaration". This declaration says that… "Churchtown will become an example to rural Europe that small communities can become sustainable by developing "bottom up" strategies that are implemented locally with regional agreement and financial support. "On the same day we resolved to renew our parish with or without outside support. In this regard, FÁS have not left us wanting in Churchtown and the whole community is grateful to the people who are FÁS on the ground in north County Cork - Paddy Carleton, John Murphy, Gerry Farrissey, Anne Twohig and Pat O'Callaghan. "In conclusion, let us say we are aware that FÁS under the leadership of Director General Rody Molloy is currently undergoing a strategic review. We wish you all well in this process. We are as close as you can get to the ground and we know that the Social Employment Scheme is vital to rural communities and offers the dignity and social interaction of a job to 28,000 people very many of whom will never have the opportunity of securing commercial employment. Please do not let the hugely important social employment scheme become a casualty of your review. "Finally, can we once again thank everyone in FÁS for your support and for selecting the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust entry for an award here this evening." Cork County Council The County Council supported the renewal of our village with an EU Urban & Village Renewal Grant of €12,700 in 2001 bringing the total support between 1997 and 2001 to just over €47,000. A special discretionary grant of €19,000 was approved by the Council in 1997 and paid in 1998 and 1999 directly to the Churchtown Development Association. The Trust is grateful for the support of the County Council and is convinced that we have invested the funds we have been granted wisely. The County Council acquired a site capable of taking up to 10 houses across from the Church a number of years ago and after some time built a block of two houses. Two further houses were added in 1998 and the Council has now completed a further block of three single storey houses at the front of this development. The Trust welcomes this initiative by the County Council and the fact that they have started building a further block of three houses on this site. Education - Support for Primary School The Trust is committed to supporting the children
of the parish with appropriate educational equipment and will continue
to work with the headmaster and the school's board of management
in this regard. Ballyhoura Development has added very valuable support to the work of the Churchtown Development Association and the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust. The Trust would like to thank chief executive, Carmel Fox, and her colleagues for their wonderful work over the years. The Nivita Foundation The Nivita Foundation was founded following a tragic and fatal car accident in which all of the members of the band "Nivita" were fatally injured along with little Emma Conroy on the 27th of October 1999. The Foundation was founded by Karen O'Herlihy sister of Niamh and Anita. The Foundation held a most successful Song Contest to commemorate the first anniversary and second anniversaries of the accident. The Trust wished the Nivita Foundation well going forward. Community Sports Field Facilities Churchtown Sports Field was purchased in 1984 by
the GAA club with huge support from the local community and almost
€130,000 has been invested in creating a The Trust prepared a Lottery grant application in 1998 and in 1999 for the Trustees of the Parish Sports Field and presented this to the Department of Tourism, Sports and Recreation. These applications were unsuccessful but our application in June 2000 was successful and we were approved a "lottery" grant of €101,600 towards our Sports Stand development. Construction of the Sports Stand began in early 2001 and is now moving ahead rapidly and, excluding the roof, the Stand and dressing rooms underneath should be available to the public in late 2002. It is hoped that a further "lottery" grant can be secured to enable a roof to be erected over the stand in 2003/4 and that a full Sports Hall overlooking the pitch will be built just west of the Stand in time. The Trust congratulates Churchtown GAA on their wonderful work for the community over the years. Tidy Towns Competition Churchtown has improved its score from 147 in 1997 to 213 in 2001 or 45%. Our revised target is to improve our score by 7/9 points each year to 2005 when our score should reach 245. In 2001 we scored 71% and in 2002 we are targeting to improve our overall score to 74% or 221. The population of Churchtown is increasing dramatically. The parish population is now approximately 700 and with the on-going development of 77 houses at Bruhenny, 5 at Chapel Lane (in progress) and planning approval for a further 34 now granted on Kerry Lane, Churchtown will move from Category A to Category B for the 2002 competition. The area under which we are seriously under performing remains the Wildlife and Natural Amenities heading where our score is only 50% and, therefore our priority in 2002 should be to develop Bruhenny Graveyard as set out in this plan. This plan is presented using the nine headings under which we are judged in the competition: 1. Overall Developmental Approach Our 2001 - 2005 development plan is in place and with the revisions set out in our Plan 2002 we would hope to improve our score from 34 to 35 or 70%. 2. The Built Environment The development and landscaping of the new village green will improve the appearance of Churchtown. By July 2002 all houses in the Bruhenny development fronting on Kerry Lane south will be finished and this will help. The Stand at the Community Sports Grounds should be nearing completion (apart from the roof) but the car park is unlikely to be landscaped ahead of our 2002 adjudication. It is possible that work will have begun the development of our Community Enterprise & Craft Centre just east of the Stand which may also have a negative impact. The plan to renovate the old Booney homestead on Kerry Lane with as sun room to the west will improve the Kerry Lane entrance to the centre of the village. The site between the Booney house and 1 Bruhenny needs to be cleaned up and temporarily landscaped in advance of its development. The "Lottery House" on George's Street West and the old RIC Barracks one door north of it are both being refurbished which will help. The huge improvements to the derelict houses south of the Chapel especially the use of old slate will bear fruit in 2002. Main issues raised in the 2001 adjudication requiring attention: - Small derelict building behind creamery wall on Burton Road Our score under this heading in 2001 was 29 and we are targeting an improvement of 2 points to 31 in 2002. 3. Landscaping We now have enough hanging baskets and window boxes in place. The horseshoe surrounding the horse in the village centre needs to be planted with "horse-cure" related herbs as stated on the bronze plaque. The granite base needs to be sandblasted as per the artwork already developed and the bronze plaque moved to the front of the base. The spaces between the half moon raised flower beds on the Burton Road needs to be softened visually. The proposed Giant Sun Dial public sculpture on the new village green if completed and lit by June 2002 would be very helpful. Main issues raised in the 2001 adjudication requiring attention: - the gaps in the wall on the Burton Road Our score under this heading in 2001 was 30 and in 2002 we are targeting an increase of 1 to 31. 4. Wildlife & Natural Amenities Issues to be addressed: - complete the pathways, repair walls etc Our score in this category in 2001 was 15 and we are targeting an improvement of 3 points to 18 in 2002. This area needs special attention in 2003 - 2005 as it offers the greatest category for improvement.
Keep the area around the Pound Corner clean and take care to stain public seating and the new "Welcome" kiosk. No change expected in score. Involve the national school children in our Keep Churchtown Tidy programme. Our plan is to maintain our score at 33 or 83% in this category. 6. Tidiness Issues raised in 2001 adjudication: - school car park Our target is to improve our score by 1 point to 15 in this category. 6. Residential Areas The landscaping of the Bruhenny site and the new village green with the proposed public sculpture will add considerably to the on-going improvement and presentation of Churchtown. Landscaping for the five new town houses at Chapel Lane is also planned. In 2002 we hope to improve our score from 20 to 21 or 70%. 7. Roads, streets and back areas Issues raised in 2001 adjudication: - speed limit poles and signs needs to be cleaned
and painted Our target is to improve our score by 1 point to 31 or 78%. 8. General Impression We do not expect any improvement in this category
until 2003/2004. The parish web site originally launched in 1997 has been updated in 1999 and again in 2002. The web site carries lots of information about the work of the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust, and other parish related plans. A selection of the late Jim McCarthy's articles on Churchtown are included together with back copies of our parish Newsletter. You can also take a virtual tour of the parish where you can see lots of pictures and read an accompanying narrative. There is also a section on "Things to do" in the greater Churchtown area. Bruhenny Village Graveyard The Trust offered to support improvements to the historic Village Graveyard by way of a grant for all material costs and in this connection the ruined church and graveyard (Ref SMR CO016-056) was assessed by consultant archaeologist Jacinta Kiely. Work on this project has been delayed and is again scheduled for attention in 2002/3. The Trust intends to support the following works in the area of the graveyard in Churchtown. - Trim the grass and vegetation in the area of the
graveyard. Recognising People's Contribution A special medal of honour was designed and minted by the Trust to recognise those people who have made a significant contribution to Churchtown. Four medals were presented in April 1998 to: Oliver Byrne, Chairman of the Churchtown Development
Association On 23rd September 1998 at an Institute of Directors lunch in Dublin the Trust presented a medal to Northern Ireland Secretary of State Mo Mowlam MP to recognise her role in bringing peace to Ireland. It is the Trust's intention to recognise other national and international figures at appropriate times. On 26th January 1999 at our "Facing the Millennium with Confidence" information briefing three further medals were presented to: Greg Collins, Architect, Cork County Council Patrick Irwin Carmel Fox of Ballyhoura Development presented the medals in the presence of President McAleese. In 2001 a further medal was presented to Dublin-based volunteer worker Gerry Corbett who administered the house lottery and other Trust projects. Parish History The Trust is continuing to work on the development of our parish history which will entitled "A Proud History". It is difficult to provide a publication date at this stage. Parish Newsletters / Vale Star The Trust helped the Churchtown Development Association prepare a number of parish newsletters which are also posted to our web site. The Trust is very conscious that communications is one of the cornerstones of successful parish renewal and for some months has supplied material which has been inserted in the "Churchtown Notes" in the Vale Star. Horse Sculpture Churchtown has a long and proud history when it comes to horses and so it was appropriate when the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust purchased an almost life size bronze sculpture of a horse and jockey which has been presented to the people of Churchtown. Disposal of Lottery House The winner of the lottery house decided to take a cheque instead of the prize. The Trust decided to sell the house by tender and advertisements were placed in the Vale Star to this effect in March 2001. The tender closing date was set at 20th April 2001. Three tenders were received and the house has now been sold to Karen McAree who has begun the renovation process. We welcome Karen to our community. Sponsored Cycle / Fundraising The main fund raising event organised by the Trust was the sponsored cycle by our chairman who cycled from Dublin to Churchtown between Thursday 28th and Saturday 30th June 2001. This initiative raised €11,558 for the Trust. Personal Development Course 2001 On Saturday and Sunday 20th and 21st October 2001 a course was presented by the Trust in the Community Hall entitled "How to be more effective in your professional and personal life". The course offered participants an opportunity of: - learning how to become more effective The course was presented by Karl O'Connor, BBS, MBS, MIITD, FCIPM, FIB who has been involved as a professional training and development manager for 20 years and is currently Senior Manager, Training & Development, First Active Plc. He is Chairman of the Institute of Bankers (Dublin Region). Karl is co-author of "Coaching Champions" and contributed to "The Irish Employee Recruitment Handbook". Karl regularly presents on courses which help people to realise their own potential and has lectured in several Irish Universities and management institutes. Decision making In the period 1997 to 2001 the trustees have vested considerable discretion to the chairman in terms of day-to-day decision making on the understanding that all expenditure fell within the terms of the comprehensive Trust deed and it is properly vouched and audited. Financial Report The Trust maintains its bank account with AIB Bank in Buttevant where the overdraft permission of £10,000 was secured by way of a personal guarantee from the Trust founder. The Trust is grateful for the support of AIB Bank which has facilitated bridging various grants and the purchase of the Lottery property. The Trust has incurred minimum administrative costs as all overheads are provided by the Trust's chairman. All invoices and the accounts have been audited by Pat O'Donovan, FCA of O'Donovan Stewart, Accountants, 10 Pembroke Place, Dublin 2. While the Trust has charitable status it is not
allowed under current legislation to recover VAT which means that
in most cases between 12.5% and 21% of the Trust's expenditure goes
back to the Exchequer in tax. 2001 Trustee Details The Churchtown Village Renewal Trust was founded in 1997 by Gerry Murphy, who was born and raised in the parish of Churchtown in North Cork. The Trust is a legally constituted registered charity under Revenue Commissioner rules and is dedicated to the improvement of the social, educational, environmental and economic infrastructure of the parish. The trustees in 2001 were: Margaret O'Brien. As well as contributing to the local community as a Trustee of the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust Margaret is also District Commissioner for the Duhallow Pony Club. Margaret and her husband farm at Clashganiff House in Churchtown. Eileen Ahern O'Connor Eileen is an artist who returned to her native Churchtown in 1997 having lived and worked in the USA and Australia where she was actively involved in supporting the Aborigine community in Newman, NW Australia as a voluntary worker with the local Shire (county). She will act as honorary treasurer of the Trust from mid 2002. Noel Linehan Noel is chairman of the Churchtown Development Association for a second tow-year term. Interested in all aspects of the environment and local history he completed a video record of a large number of local senior citizens with the help of Pat Irwin in 1999. He has given many years of service to the community. Peggy O'Flaherty Peggy and her husband Jack own and operate O'Flaherty's shop on George's Street. She has served as secretary of the Churchtown Development Association for many years up to 2001 and will act as secretary of the Churchtown Village Renewal Trust from mid 2002. Gerry Murphy Gerry founded the Trust in 1997 and is its chairman. He is Dublin based and his voluntary work has included acting as chairman of Guaranteed Irish, the national body promoting Irish goods and services, acting as chairman of Thermie, a pan European project aimed at reducing the emission of CO2 and serving as a council member of the Institute of Bankers in Ireland and the Association of Advertisers in Ireland. Churchtown has a long and proud history. The area was settled over 4,000 years as evidenced by the discovery of a bronze axe head in the parish. More recently we know that, for instance, in the year 1291 at the (now ruined) Church behind George's Street one Odo de Barry presented the Revd Robert Cheusner to the vicarage of Bruhenny. Sir Richard Cox, Baronet, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, writing in the year 1688 describes Churchtown village as follows: Churchtown, a small market town, near which is a large noble park and in it is a stately mansion named Burton Hall, belonging to Sir Richard Percival. Churchtown village is situated in a fertile corner of north County Cork. The village, which formerly contained a number of thatched houses, was attacked and the greater part of it including the police barracks burned in the year 1822. It was rebuilt between the years 1825 and 1849. In the years following the attack and the burning, Sir Edward Tierney, agent to the Earl of Egmont, the landlord, cleared away all the thatched houses and rebuilt the village in the form it is in today. Samuel Lewis reporting on the state of the village in the year 1837 says the village contains several neat slated houses, a good inn and a constabulary police station. A fine Market House was built in 1845 and the primary school was built in 1846. In the year 1849 the village of Churchtown was completed. To this day it remains largely intact. Churchtown creamery was built in the year 1889. It was owned and worked by a number of farmers known as the Churchtown Creamery Co. In those far off days the amount of milk taken in daily amounted to 3,000 gallons. The village was built around a triangle. One side of it was named Egmont Row, the main street of the village was named George's Street and that running west was named Kerry Lane. The double row of houses on the Buttevant road was named Chapel Lane and the road leading in the direction of main Cork/Limerick road to the east was named Lodge (now Burton) Road. At the Eastern edge of the village stands the entrance lodge to Burton Park. At the northern end of George's Street are the entrance gates and lodge to Churchtown House. About three hundred yards to the west of the village at a place called Maryfield, stood the Church of Ireland parish church. The tree-lined road that led from Burton to the Church at Georgian Village runs through the field on which the new housing development is now under construction. Churchtown village celebrated the 150th anniversary
of its rebuilding in 1999. TIDY TOWNS ADJUDICATORS' REPORT 2001 OVERALL DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH The adjudicator would like to thank the Tidy Towns Committee for the excellent quality of the documentation submitted with the entry Application Form. The village map was most useful. Your Tidy Towns Plan is an excellent document and it identifies realistic targets for the future. Very significant work has been achieved in Churchtown during the past five years and the achievements here should be an example to similar communities throughout the country. The excellent work carried out to date by the community and the Churchtown Village Trust has been recognised by the many awards won by the village. The plan for signage is excellent and the new street name and bronze information plaques look well. The photographic archive submitted with the entry is most interesting and demonstrates so clearly what has been achieved. The proposed creche is an excellent project and the adjudicator looks forward to progress on that. THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Under this category so much excellent work has been achieved. It is most satisfactory to see so many buildings that have been restored to new modern uses. It is also encouraging to see the restoration of the building now used as the food market, and the adjudicator wishes this new development well. Stone walls form a very important aspect of the character of Churchtown and good work has been done here also for this year's competition. The new wall opposite the Church is a good example of this as is the new wall and plaque at the old creamery site. However a small derelict building was noted at the creamery site and the adjudicator wonders if this is to be removed also. Many of the houses in the village have been freshly painted with a good colour choice and the end effect is very good. Work in progress was noted at the Sports Ground and the Stand and associated facilities will be an excellent addition to community life when finished. The Conference Centre should attract new economic activity for the village and is most welcome. Good work has also been done in regard to footpath restoration. LANDSCAPING The hanging baskets, flower tubs and window boxes looked well on the day of adjudication but do make sure that this aspect of your work is not overdone. The Horse Sculpture is a really excellent focal point for the village and works were incomplete on adjudication day. The landscaped area on the Burton road is an attractive feature on this approach to the village. However the damage in the old stone wall opposite needs urgent attention. The new brochure "Ecology of Churchtown Parish in North Cork" is most interesting and has been prepared following a proper ecological survey. The information panels in the village back up this brochure most successfully. The restored Graveyard area is an excellent habitat for wildlife. Here some minor stone wall restoration work is needed and the gates might be painted matt black. The walking trails are an excellent development an add to the enjoyment of visitors to your village. LITTER CONTROL Some litter was noted in the landscaped area with the local Marble display; otherwise litter control on adjudication day was quite good. The Litter Free Zone signs though unusual in a village are an excellent way of keeping the litter control issue clearly in the minds of everyone. TIDINESS The long grass at the large green building on the Buttevant approach road needs attention, as does the small car park area near the School. Weed growth, a pile of sand and some blocks were noted in this area. One or two incidental open spaces were noted in the village where presentation could be improved. On Chapel Lane an untidy area to the side of the Church was noted, and perhaps the gateway to this area can be painted. The Nursing Home building is well presented but just below this building on the village side, there is a very untidy area with a small derelict building. Eventually the under-grounding of all cables in the village is highly desirable. In some cases weed growth at the base of road boundary walls needs to be removed. RESIDENTIAL AREAS The Bruhenny development of up to 72 houses was underway on adjudication day and this is a most welcome development. It is hoped that a high level of landscaping will be incorporated into this development. The plans for a new village green here are noted and the adjudicator looks forward to the completion of this development. Private houses and gardens are being well maintained and many private houses have been recently painted. ROADS, STREETS AND BACK AREAS Work is still required on approach roads to the village. Speed limit poles need to be painted, and the grass at the narrow verges should be cut on a regular basis. On the Black Road the stone walls here would be much improved is some small repairs were carried out. When the present phase of development works is completed some of the streets will need to be re-resurfaced, and hopefully this is on the Local Authority work programme for the village. GENERAL IMPRESSION Churchtown is a village that knows where it is going in the future and you have realistic plans to achieve your goals. Churchtown is an excellent example of what can be done in many similar villages in Ireland given the commitment of the local people and the appropriate Agencies. The adjudicator wishes your community and the Trust every possible success in the year ahead.
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