Future safe for Stradbally Courthouse
Seamus Dunne traces the history of one of the county's historic landmarks, which is in line for a major facelift.
ITS founders apparently believed that Stradbally Courthouse would eventually be older than Methuselah. He reputedly lived to the age of 969. They signed a 999-year lease for the building.
That was on March 16, 1830. So the Courthouse will this year celebrate its 180th birthday, and, fittingly, it is currently getting a 1.4m euro facelift.
If the edifice could talk, it could no doubt tell many an interesting tale from the days of the Petty Sessions and, later, the District Courts. But for a while, so to speak, it appeared that it would be silenced for ever as the ravages of time ate into the structure.
Then up stood Defence Counsel in the form of James Deegan. Rather surprisingly, because, as he readily admits, his family gave "some business" to the Courthouse in times of yore. Hence, one wouldn't expect him to have any great affection for it.
On the contrary, he accepted the brief with alacrity, letting bygones be bygones. "I was determined not to permit it to fall into a state of dereliction," he declares.
James, who's a County Councillor, adds: "I lobbied hard for funding. That funding is now in place to complete the restoration. The Courthouse is the focal point of Court Square and this development guarantees its future."
The lease for the land on which the Courthouse was built was signed between the British Crown and Thomas Cosby of Cosby Hall. A condition of the lease, seemingly, was that the building, in the event of it ceasing to be a Courthouse, would revert to the Cosby Estate.
Though courts stopped sitting in Stradbally in March, 1961 - when District Justice Meagher was on the bench --this condition was not implemented. In 1989, the County Council bought the lease from the Cosby family. The fee was 100, with 12 ground rent arrears.
Two Magistrates, known as Justices of the Peace and drawn from local landowners and ratepayers, presided at the Petty Sessions which were held quarterly. Custodial sentences were sometimes imposed and the Courthouse has its own Bridewell (holding cells).
Adjoining the Bridewell was the caretaker's residence. The last person to hold that post was the famous Tom Delaney, known to his team-mates as "Uncle Tom." He was the Laois full back in the 1936 All-Ireland football final against Mayo.
The courts in Stradbally served a wide rural area stretching to the Kildare border and including Timahoe, Luggacuren and Ballintubber.
Following an interim, during which the Dil courts replaced the Petty Sessions, the first Stradbally District Court sat in January, 1924.
The RIC Barracks, later taken over by the Gardai, was situated in what is now the carpark of Dick Dunne's pub, only a short distance from the Courthouse. Between the barracks and the pub was a passageway much frequented by the lawmen. So the story goes, anyhow.
After the demise of the District Court, the Courthouse became a Co Council administrative centre and housed the branch library. Machinery was stored in the former airing yard for prisoners.
In one of his last official acts before his much regretted death, Minister Seamus Brennan sanctioned over 400,000 euros for the Stradbally Courthouse project. The rest of the cash is coming from the Co Council.
The refurbished and expanded heritage building will encompass an upgraded library, art studios, exhibition space, living accommodation for artists in residence and space for non-residential artists.
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