Main pic: Demolition works underway at the historic buildings on main street. Credit: Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter.
Three historic buildings in the centre of Letterkenny are currently being razed to the ground over safety concerns.
The 160-year-old stone structures once housed a number of iconic businesses, including Funland amusement arcade and the Music Centre. However, they were allowed to fall into a state of disrepair in recent years.
Yesterday, Donegal County Council confirmed the main street would be closed all day today “to undertake necessary works in the interests of public health and safety,”
Parts of the front of the buildings have been judged to be sufficiently dangerous that immediate works are needed.
A spokesperson for the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter heritage group said they hoped the structures will be replaced with ones in keeping with what was there before.
According to the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) website, the buildings were erected around 1865 as houses and each had three unique gable-fronted dormer windows.
When surveyed in 2008, the NBHS reported: “Buildings of this type were, until recent years, a ubiquitous feature of the streetscapes of Irish towns. However, it is now becoming sadly increasingly rare to find relatively intact examples. This building makes a positive contribution to the streetscape to the south of the centre of Letterkenny, and is an addition to the built heritage of the town.”
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