The main aim of the Cathedral Quarter project is to create a hub with Church Lane at its centre.
The proposed end envisages that Church Lane would encompass craft shops with local goods and services along with an interpretative centre in the heart of Letterkenny. A lot of research has been undertaken in the area, in particular on the history of the Church Lane. Through this research, the names of almost everyone who lived on the Church Lane since 1858 have been recorded.
The Cathedral Quarter is deeply enriched in history with many important dignitaries having visited locations in the area. These include Maude Gonne who stayed at Mount Southwell, Padraig Pearse in Gallaghers Hotel, Eamon deValera and Michael Davitt who addressed crowds in the Market Square. Events strongly connected to Irish History played out in this area too. Sentry Hill for example, marks the spot of the lookout for Catholics during Penal Times while just below this area the National Volunteers marched. There were also demonstrations against Conscription at this location. Two Church Lane residents perished in the Great War and there is a memorial to those who returned in Conwal Parish Church. There are also a number of historical figures buried in the Church including Jane Austen's niece Cassandra Knight and the Liberal MP Rev. Kinnear. To commemorate the Easter Rising, Brian Crowley, Curator of the Pearse Museum will be delivering a lecture on the connections between St Eunans Cathedral and the Pearse family on Friday, 8th April. He will unveil a special mosaic that celebrates this connection and we hope to add this to our interpretative centre.
Map of Cathedral Quarter
The Group have embarked on a five year partnership with Letterkenny Institute of Technology and their Architectural Technology students have recently unveiled a powerful vision of what Church Lane can become. Plans have been submitted to the Government for the conservation and development of this deeply historic area and we are awaiting their response. You can learn more here at our Facebook page : Save the Church Lane and also twitter @SaveChLane.
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