Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter

Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter CLG was established in 2014 as local residents came together to address the many buildings within the town centre that had fallen into disrepair and dereliction. Letterkenny Town Centre is steeped in history, heritage and culture with many landmarks and heritage buildings, something that the group of locals sought to restore.  A charity was formed which quickly developed strong working partnerships with state bodies, residents, the wider community and Government Departments, who all contributed to creating a new identity and lease of life for what is now known as ‘The Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter’. 

Good Causes funding enabled the group to host traditional building skills workshops within the local area. Through the funded project, they engaged with students in Letterkenny Institute of Technology. This sowed the seed for a strong collaborative partnership which then saw them work together on a heritage conservation and development plan for the Cathedral Quarter area of Letterkenny. Letterkenny IT also partnered on a project to install a series of artistic murals which identify the area as one of cultural significance. 

Building on this success and the increased profile of the group which resulted, the Local Authority in the County earmarked the area for development and so the team worked with Donegal County Council to realise a significant investment in the area which included the restoration of the traditional facades on the derelict houses along the Church Lane area. In turn, many of the derelict buildings are now coming back into use as accommodation for business and residents. In recognition of their community-led approach to heritage conservation and development, they received a National Award in 2019 from the National Planning Institute of Ireland. 

The Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter is going from strength to strength and we’re so proud to be associated with their fantastic work.