Heritage group hail age friendly designation

THE fact that Charleville has been granted age friendly status by Cork County Council was welcomed by members of Charleville Heritage Society, as it was the Community Plan for the town that was extensively quoted in the application lodged by Charleville Lions Club with assistance from Ballyhoura Development CLG.

Charleville Heritage Society, now headed by chair Evelyn O’Keeffe, is a sub-committee of Charleville Chamber is a vital link between the past and present highlighting the history and heritage of Charleville over the centuries, so that the residents of today will have a knowledge of what went before in their town and area.

However, the members are also concerned with what lies in the future for the town, and it was this which led them to initiate the drive for the renewal of the community plan for Charleville when the time limit on the previous community plan ran out in 2019, and the members of the original Charleville Forum disbanded having completed their term of office and some very valuable work locally since their inception.

So, with Charleville Heritage Society as the host group, it was with the funding from Ballyhoura Development CLG and the commitment of their staff and the valued input of the many local organisations facilitated by Paul O’Raw of O’Raw Consultancy and Associates, Niall Heenan, and Dr. Shane O’Sullivan, that the 2019-23 Community Plan was devised.

Charleville Heritage Society members have again reverted to their prime objective of pursuing a tourism stream for Charleville by establishing a museum for the town in the upper storey of the former Market House in Main Street. This project is presently in train with Cork County Council who have a lease on this portion of the building. Their longer-term objective is the restoration of the historic Moatville House and decorative walled gardens at Limerick Road, Charleville.