Callan Friary: Handover is an opportunity to renovate the building and reinvigorate the town centre

ABOVE: Theresa Dawson, Sr. Hannah, Sr. Goretti, Sr. Eva, Mary O’Sullivan, Rita O’Keeffe and baby Annie Dawson representing community members past and present who have used the friary

Twenty-two years after the Augustinian Order left Callan the community came together last Wednesday to mark the official handover of the friary building to Kilkenny County Council.
The Mill Street landmark is guaranteed to remain in its central role in the lives of local people.

Prior Provincial of the Augustinian Order, Fr Tony Egan OSA, said his hope is that the building will become a vibrant centre for the people of Callan, in the future.
He was joined in Callan by Fr Michael Mernagh, a Glenmore native and the Augustinian priest who helped set up the trust that looked after the building for the last 22 years.

Fr Egan said it was a historic occasion that he was honoured to be a part of. Many hard working and dedicated people have ensured the building has been a positive and beneficial facility for the town and he complemented and thanked them wholeheartedly.

When the Order decided to leave Callan, it was with the intention of handing over the building to the people of Callan for their use and benefit. Fr Mernagh paid tribute to all those who played a part in the property trust over the years.

Fr Mernagh shared some of what he has learned over those years, from his work with the Trust. He encouraged people to be innovative, and accept they will sometimes fail. He also said ‘learn from your mistakes’.
Work in partnership, he told those gathered, neither the local people or the local authority can do it alone.

Respect everyone, agree to disagree, Fr Mernagh added, and don’t forget to praise yourselves for a job well done.
He thanked David Fitzgerald for chairing the Trust, in recent years, and kept them on the right path.

Director of services with Kilkenny County Council, Mary Mulholland, thanked all who worked with the Trust over 20 years, said she looked forward to working with the community including the Callan Town Team, and had a special word of thanks for Carmel Brett in the Callan Area Office for all her support work.

She acknowledged the contributions of the Augustinian Order to Callan for more than 100 years, and the contribution they will make to the future of the town by transferring the property to the community.

On behalf of the Trust, Jimmy Brett said he was ‘flabbergasted’ by the quality of people involved. The group of professionals brought real value to the Trust. He said we are living in a time of government commitment to rural development and generations to come will enjoy the benefits of the Callan Friary Project. Click NEXT to continue reading and see more photographs.