Drogheda Tholsel wins accessibility award
The 18th Century Tholsel in Drogheda, Co Louth, which received a €330,000 refurbishment with Heritage Council support last year, has received an award in recognition of its accessibility to people with disabilities.
The award for most accessible public building was accepted by Drogheda Borough Council at the Access Louth Awards 2011 presented by Louth Community & Voluntary Forum; People with Disabilities in Ireland; Irish Wheelchair Association; Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland and Louth Age Friendly County.
A tourist information office now operates from the Tholsel which has been central to Drogheda life for more than 220 years.
The Tholsel’s bell tower has long been a prominent Drogheda landmark and the building saw the town’s first Catholic and freely elected Mayor assume office in the 1840s. The historic building housed a bank for many years after the Borough Council moved to Fair Street.
Cllr Kevin Callan, Mayor of Drogheda, said: “We were delighted last year to see the Tholsel refurbishment completed and this award for accessibility caps off the project well. It is vital that all of our public buildings be open to all of our citizens. In accepting the award for the Tholsel, I want to acknowledge the work of the project team.
“It is also appropriate that I pay tribute to the work done under the wider inclusion heading by the Louth Community & Voluntary Forum as well as the other agencies that they engage with in presenting the Access Louth Awards annually. People with disabilities face challenges with great courage and it is a measure of our society how we facilitate them in overcoming these challenges. Their fighting spirit is an inspiration.”
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