A leading western solicitor has called for a State commitment to conserving and refurbishing the 19th-century courthouse in Clifden, Co Galway.
Mr J.J. Mannion, a former Fine Gael councillor and prominent member of the Co Galway Solicitors' Bar Association, said the present €300,000 refurbishment of the building by the Courts Service was welcome but insufficient.
"This building requires €2 million if its full heritage value and architectural merit is to be realised," Mr Mannion said.
"It is one of the finest examples of its type in the west of Ireland, and it must be recognised that Clifden is not just a county town but the capital of Connemara.
"This building could not just serve for court hearings, but also for musical recitals and other artistic and community events."
The 1830 courthouse at Clifden has been the focus of a long-running campaign by the Co Galway Solicitors' Bar Association. Its furniture also dates from the early 19th century and Judge Harvey Kenny, another supporter, waived a court ban in 1998 to allow Joe O'Shaughnessy to photograph the interior for this newspaper.
The bar association issued legal proceedings against the Minister for Justice and the Courts Service regarding the building's future, but these have been stalled while a maintenance programme is carried out.
The Courts Service said the refurbishment, which is supported by the Clár programme administered by the Minister for Community, Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, involves preserving the building's fabric, treating dry rot and damp, and improving the roof, heating and outside paving.
The Courts Service, a spokesman said, had spent €130 million on upgrading 35 courthouses over the past four years, but the concentration had to be on major county towns like Longford, Sligo and Ennis, which could accommodate High Court and Circuit Court sittings, in addition to District Court hearings.
Clifden's situation would be examined again during the lifetime of a seven-year building programme, he added.
The Clár initiative has allocated €171,667 for work on courthouses in its areas, including Clifden, Lismore, Co Waterford, and Glenties, Co Donegal.
