Proposals sought from public as Bray's old courthouse to remain in the hands of the community
Members of the 'Old Court House Proposal Team' outside the old District Courthouse, in Bray.
The former courthouse building on the Boghall Road has been vacant since 2006, when court services were relocated to the Civic Centre.
In December 2021, a group of local women made a submission to Bray Municipal District, with the aim of getting the courthouse back into community use. Since then, Karen McDonald, former councillor Aoife Flynn Kennedy, Darly Carey, Deirdre Lally, Emma Lally, Anne-Marie McMorrow and Jolene O'Connor have worked to get that plan of action completed.
Having succeeded in getting the building transferred into the ownership of Wicklow County Council (WCC), the team supported the council in their successful application for funding, and some €340,000 was allocated for the refurbishment of the building through the Community Recognition Fund. The team has also worked in partnership with the board of Ballywaltrim Community Centre to get their support to progress plans.
They now hold a caretaker's agreement for the old courthouse building, another major milestone that allows them to move forward and engage directly with the community. Speaking on behalf of the group, Deirdre Lally said: 'No final decision has been made about how the building will be used – except that it will be for community use only. That's the exciting part. We now have the freedom to go out and find out what the community really wants.'
Group member Aoife Flynn Kennedy added: 'We've been working on this for so long – it's hard not to feel excited as we approach the final stage. The possibilities are endless, but we have to be realistic too. Whatever plans we make, the building must be self-financing and sustainable.'
The team has launched an online survey and will also be going door-to-door in the neighbourhood to make sure as many voices as possible are heard. So you can keep an eye out for them in the coming weeks.
To complete the survey, you can go to the group's Facebook page: 'Old Court House Proposal Team'.
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