Call to halt sale of landmark piscatorial school building
One of the Claddagh’s landmark buildings – the National Piscatorial School now being offered for sale by the Dominican Order – should not be sold off to the commercial sector, according to An Taisce.
The environmental watchdog group have now written to the Bursar Provincial of the Dominicans in Dublin, pleading with them to consider a more cultural and community based future for the iconic building, located beside Claddagh Church.
Derrick Hambleton, the Chairman of An Taisce, Galway, said that it would be an ‘incredible loss’ to the city if the building was ‘to be lost’ to the commercial world simply for use as ‘offices, apartments, restaurant or café use’.
“We would suggest that the building might instead be kept and leased, to be managed in such a way as would see it being used to highlight, not alone the cultural heritage of the Claddagh, but also its connection to the construction of the Eglinton Canal, and the Claddagh Basin.
“It might also be possible to see it used in telling the story of the maritime history of Galway and its connections to the Atlantic liners which in the past anchored in the bay.
“The upper rooms may be suitable for use by various community arts and culture groups and variety of other organisations, including Galway 2020,” Mr. Hambleton suggests in his letter to the Dominicans.
Earlier this Summer, The Piscatorial School was offered for sale by private treaty with joint agents DVA Donal Ó Buachalla and Power & Associates guiding a price of €500,000 for the 300 square metres three storey building.
The Piscatorial [relating to fishing or fishermen] School was founded by the Dominican Fathers in 1846 with the purpose of educating the children of the Claddagh in the practical skills of fishing as well as basic literacy.
Boys attending the school were taught to make and mend fishing nets while girls learned how to sew and spin. In its early years, pupil numbers at the school swelled to over 500 but by the late 1800s it functioned as a conventional national school.
In An Taisce’s letter to the Dominicans, they said that they would ‘absolutely welcome’ any opportunity to meet with the Order to discuss possible usage options for the building rather than a sale to the commercial sector.
“Of course, tourism and cultural uses may yet emerge that could be accomplished by agreement with a community management team, that should itself perhaps, be led by the Dominicans in Galway,” An Taisce suggest.
The heritage and environmental charity have also suggested that the Dominicans consider ‘offering’ the use of the building to Galway City Council for its expansion of activities in the run-up to the 2020 European Capital of Culture event.