Almost €7 million secured for Percy French redevelopment

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced funding of €115 million for 23 landmark rural regeneration projects across the country, including €6.9 million for the redevelopment of the former Percy French hotel in Ballyjamesduff, to provide for a remote working hub and community facilities.

The projects are being funded as part of ‘Our Rural Future’, the Government’s ambitious five-year policy for rural development. The Percy French Hotel project has received €6,922,400 in funding under Phase 1 of the Rural Regeneration Development Fund. The project is expected to cost €8,653,000 with the remaining €1,730,600 to be supplied from Cavan County Council’s own funds.

Welcoming the news, Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Councillor John Paul Feeley said, “For many years the Percy French Hotel has been the heart of Ballyjamesduff. This significant funding will have, as Percy French famously wrote, ‘Bells…ringing in Ballyjamesduff’. This ambitious project will reintegrate this famous building back into the fabric of the town centre and will act as a focal point for the economic, tourism, and community regeneration of Ballyjamesduff and its wider hinterland, and I congratulate all in the local authority and the local community who have helped put together such a compelling funding application, This Government has put huge investment into revitalising rural towns and villages and this is yet another example of that investment.”

Announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said, “We are all familiar with historic old buildings in our local towns which have lain vacant for far too long. These are iconic buildings in our town centres, and I don’t want to see them lying idle, falling into disrepair, or becoming dilapidated eyesores. The funding I am announcing today will help redevelop these buildings and give them new purpose as community and cultural facilities, libraries, co-working hubs, enterprise, and tourism hubs.”

Chief Executive of Cavan County Council Tommy Ryan said, “Today’s successful announcement follows years of planning, and this project has been painstakingly developed in adherence with the County Development Plan and the Regeneration Plan for Ballyjamesduff, for which Cavan County Council secured €90,000 in funding under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund in 2019. I want to thank all our staff in the Community, Enterprise, and Tourism Section, and our Planning Section for their efforts, Ballyjamesduff Community Council for their input, and our elected members for providing the vital match funding which allows us to pursue these ambitious projects”

Director of Service for Community, Enterprise, Tourism and Planning, Brendan Jennings said, “I welcome this major investment in Ballyjamesduff by the Minister and her Department. When complete, this iconic building will be transformed to include remote working space, flexible community space, a café and kitchen, offices, reception, a community/conference room and public area, and multi-purpose rooms for enterprise and community use. Cavan County Council is committed to fighting dereliction and breathing new life into our towns and this announcement represents a significant step in that regard”.