The reimagining of a Laois town has been selected as one of the three new projects to receive development funding of €10,000 under the Irish Architecture Foundation’s ‘Reimagine Hometown Architect’ initiative
The project will explore “creative ways to reconnect the town of Mountrath with the Whitehorse River as a link to its rich history of linen and cotton weaving.”
Hometown Architect supports collaborative projects between local architects and community stakeholders to explore possibilities to regenerate their town centres.
Mountrath has a rich history dating back to the 17th century, and its location on the Whitehorse River allowed the town to become an industrial hub with extensive linen and cotton weaving traditions.
The Hometown Architect project seeks to creatively explore, with the local community, how the town can reconnect socially, culturally and artistically with the Whitehorse River.
The Mountrath proposal met the brief by focusing on an issue of particular concern, and an opportunity or innovation for town centre regeneration, in line with the Government of Ireland’s Town Centre First Policy.
This policy aims to make town centres across Ireland viable, vibrant and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit.
The team for the project is Joseph Mackey Architects, Denise Rainey, Town Regeneration Officer with Laois County Council, and the Mountrath Town Team, which comprises representatives from all the local community groups in Mountrath.
Speaking on behalf of Mountrath Town Team, the chairperson Mark Sheeran said:
“This project will provide an opportunity for the Town Team to engage with an architect and create a connection between the town and one of its most important amenities, the river.”
A series of workshops are currently being organised to engage and collaborate with the community and local stakeholders in order to discuss and explore the town’s relationship with the Whitehorse River.
Further information can be found at www.josephmackey.ie.
Announcing the new Mountrath Hometown Architect project, director of the Irish Architecture Foundation, Emmett Scanlon, said:
“Hometown Architect is one of several Irish Architecture Foundation programmes that seek to build local capacity in towns, empowering communities and supporting architects to imagine and drive change.
“We in the IAF welcome the continued support of Government, whose Town Centre First Policy for improving, energising and transforming towns to make them better places to live, work and enjoy, is at the heart of our Hometown Architect programme.”
Also commenting, Heather Humphreys, T.D., Minister for Rural and Community Development, said: “My Department of Rural and Community Development shares responsibility for the national Town Centre First Policy.
“A key aim of this policy is to enable local communities and local businesses to be key drivers of development as well as central to the reimagining and planning of their towns for the future.
For more information, visit the official website here.
