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About Us |
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Ballaghaderreen and Districts Development Limited
was incorporated on the 17th of July 1995. It is a Company Limited
by Guarantee whose members are drawn from the local community.
The primary objective of the Company is to pursue and promote
the economic and social development of Ballaghaderreen and its
surrounding areas to the maximum extent and in ways that will
benefit the entire community. On the 18th of July 1996 Ballaghaderreen
and Districts Development Limited launched an integrated Community
Business Plan to cover the period 1996 -2001. The Plan contains
details of 34 projects, both community based and privately promoted,
to address all aspects of the town's ongoing development needs.
It had been recognised that Ballaghaderreen had suffered from
problems associated with economic underdevelopment and depopulation
which affected many parts of rural Ireland, but appeared to
be more manifest in the Westorn Region.
The Community Business Plan saught to address these issuesby
way of an integrated and managed approach to local development.
Since the launch of the Community Business Plan in 1996, a great
deal of work has been put in at local community level with considerable
results. A priority project in the plan was the restoration
of Dillon House at The Square in Ballaghaderreen, a building
of considerable importance which had been home to three generations
of Irish political leaders,the most recent of which was James
Dillon, one of the leading political figures of this century.
The house has fallen into disrepair and a proposal was made
to Government that it be refurbished and designated as the Headquarters
of the Western Development Commission, a body established at
that time as the focus of economic regeneration in the five
counties of Connaught as well as Donegal and Clare. That objective
was realised when on the 27 of February 1997 the then Taoiseach
Mr. John Bruton T.D., announced that Dillon House, Ballaghaderreen
would be the Headquarters, of the Western Development Commission
and would be fully refurbished for that purpose. Mr. Bruton
said at that time "Dillon House wIll be a flagship development
for the town of Ballaghaderreen. Its central position in the
Market Square will provide a new focus for the town and will
reflect Ballaghaderreen's pride in its history and optimism
in its future. The location of the Headquarters of the Western
Development Commission will also put Co. Roscommon at the centre
of the Western Region and will provtde a new perspective and
focus point in the region. It is a symbol of the future development
of Ballaghaderreen and, more generally, of the regeneration
of the Western Region.
This project is an excellent example of the benefits of doing
things in a "partnership" way. On this occasion it is a partnership
between my own Department, the office of Public Works, Roscommon
County Council and community interests -notably Ballaghaderreen
and District Development Limited."
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The people
of Ballaghaderreen were subsequently pleased tp welcome the
newly appointed Chief Executive of the Western Development Commission,
Mr. Liam Scollan, and his staff who adopted Dillon House as
their Headquarters, leading to the official opening of the newly
refurbished Dillon House for that porpose by the present Taoiseach,
Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D. at a ceremony in Ballaghaderreen on the
7th of May 1999. Mr. Ahern' s predecessor, Mr. Bruton T .D .
also attended at the official opening, in a unique gesture of
political solidarity with Ballaghaderreen' s designation as
the Commission's Headquarters.
The status of Ballaghaderreen as a Regional Development Centre
was further enhanced when on 18th June 1999 Mr. Noel Dempsey,
T.D., Minister for Environment and Local Government announced
that Ballaghaderreen was to be the location of one of two new
Regional Assemblies to be established under new structures for
regionalisation to be implemented by the Government. The Assembly
would be known as the Border Midland and Western Regional Assembly
and, said Mr. Dempsey, it would "have an important role to play
in a number of areas. " He indicated that the Assembly "will
have functions in relation to new Regional Programmes which
are to be put in place under the next National National Development
Plan as well as monotoring the general impact of all EU programmes
in its area. " He indicated that the Assembly "will also have
a general power to promote the co-ordination of public service
delivery which. ..will see the Assembly assessing its region's
development needs and securing more coherent development of
policy and provision of public services in the region," working
closely with the existing regional authorities. The Minister
continued that the Border Midland and Western Regional Assembly
would be assisted in this task by the choice of Ballaghaderreen
as it's Headquarters the town being "well positioned geographically"
in its region. The Minister indicated that he had no doubt but
that Ballaghaderreen would prove to be an excellent choice in
terms of providing the sort of focus to which all those concerned
with making the new Regional Assembly work effectively will
be able to readily relate.
Since then Mr. Gerry Finn has been appointed Chief Executive
of the Border Midland and West Regional Assembly, which has
had its initial meetings and elected its representatives from
the thirteen County Councils and one County Borough which make
up its catchment area, and has also elected a Chairman. The
region qualifies for Objective One Status for EU purposes and
has a population of almost one million. A location in the town
for the Assembly has recently being designated and work thereon
will commence when the planning process is complete. Ballaghaderreen
as a Regional Development Centre were further enhanced when
on the 19th of January 2000 Dillon House hosted the first ever
full Cabinet Meeting outside of Dublin. An Taoiseach, Mr. Bertin
Ahern T.D. and his Ministers attended and afterwards conducted
an Information Seminar on aspects of the National Development
Plan insofar as it affects the Objective One Status Area, which
was held at St. Nathy's College in Ballaghaderreen. Ballaghaderreen
was privileged to be designated as the location for this historic
Government Meeting which marked an important step in the development
of a more balanced Regional Development Programme. |
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