THE remarkable story of the transformation of a derelict former primary school into a community hub in West Belfast has been told at a special talk to mark Good Relations Week.
Gerry McConville from Falls Community Council spoke to Avila Kilmurray from Social Change Initiative about the long journey of the transformation of St Comgall’s on Divis Street.
The derelict school building has been transformed into a site of community excellence, acting as a gateway to West Belfast from the city centre and opening up new possibilities for the area.
Originally built in the 1800s, the Falls Community Council purchased the building in 2003 with the aid of Atlantic Philanthropies and had been lobbying since then to secure the money to rebuild it.
The building then went through a £7 million regeneration project and was completed in June 2022, thanks to funding from The Executive Office, Belfast City Council and Northern Ireland Executive’s Social Investment Fund. The project restored the Grade B1 listed building to create a multi-use community facility.
Gerry McConville told the audience of how the project came about.
"The St Comgall’s project started through a conversation with former MP Gerry Adams who noticed the school was in bad disrepair and had gone downhill very badly," he explained.
St Comgall's
"Our former director Eileen Howell first put forward the idea of turning it into a community hub. We had a vision and getting funding to purchase the building was the first step, which we did through Atlantic Philanthropies.
"It took 20 years to restore the building to the way it is today."
St Comgall's includes a multi-purpose function/conference hall, opening out onto a restored central courtyard, exhibition space, Grade A office accommodation and a café and information point.
Gerry went on to detail some of the events which have been held at the building.
"We are very strong on our open for all vision and creating a space where people can express themselves," he added.
"We have our commercial events such as conferences and functions and we want to host weddings here. We have a fully-licensed entertainment license.
"We also are strong on community events. We had a St Patrick’s Day ceili this year and during Féile held a number of events including Irish dancing, a talk on the history of Presbyterians in West Belfast and a celebration of Muslim culture and food.
"These type of events are exactly what we wanted St Comgall’s to be used for.
"We receive requests from all across the city for our space which is a great sign."
Asked about engagement and building relationships, Gerry emphasised this is key for St Comgall's to be a success.
"We work closely with local residents through the Falls Residents' Association and have great relationships with our neighbours on the Shankill," he continued.
Some of the audience at the St Comgall's talk
"Dialogue and communication with local people is key. Political support is also important. A community and the politicians need to work closely together. They need to be on the same page.
"Our vision is key. We want to make sure local people feel a sense of ownership about St Comgall’s. We will have failed if one local person does not know what St Comgall’s is all about."
As for the future, Gerry says St Comgall's is currently recruiting for a Business Development Officer to strengthen the project.
"We want the building to become a tourist attraction and showcase the history of the local area," he concluded.
