A visit to the Monksland Community Centre is always an engaging and life-affirming experience. And for the many who visited the Centre last week to concide with the judging for this year’s Pride of Place competition, that sense of engagement and enthusiasm was all too evident.

This year, the Monksland Community Development Project has been nominated as the second of Roscommon’s two nominees for the competition. This local project is thriving and at the point where the fruits of its labours are very evident. Monksland has grown considerably in recent years from a small rural area to having the second-largest population in County Roscommon.

Many groups and organisations who use the Community Centre showcased their work and services to a large audience of local residents at a specially organised ‘open day’. The event reflected the many supports, services and groups who use the Centre on a regular basis. Sporting organisations such as Athlone Darts Club and the local Chess Club also use the facilities on a regular basis.

Among the many other groups or service providers using the Community Centre are Sahaja Yoga, a meditative form of Yoga, Esker House Domestic Abuse Support Services, the South Roscommon Family Resource Centre and many others.

Members of the Mara Active Retirement Association on more than one occasion gave their musical prowess full expression, and a range of many other groups and services who used the occasion to connect with the community while members of the Conway Dance Academy also performed.

The aim of Monksland Development Project is to ensure the area and its hinterland have sufficient facilities required in a large residential area which continues to expand. The organisation promotes inclusivity, accessibility and cultural sensitivity and has operational for the past 22 years.

Driving that vision is The Monksland Community Centre which like on the day of judging, is continually busy and a focal point for numerous individuals and groups. The centre facilitates a variety of activities, such as multicultural religious celebrations and prayer groups, active retirement groups and has expanded from its original two meeting rooms.

Among the other community groups who use the centre are The Forget Me Not Choir, Monksland and District Women’s Group, Roscommon Youth Services, Conway Dance Academy, Infinity Friends, Ready Steady Play, educational classes, community or club meetings, family activities and support groups. 

Reflecting the Centre’s inclusive, multi-cultural ethos, the facility is also open to a range of religious services. Members of the Serbian Orthodox Church meet there on a regular basis, while Diwali, Eid and Ramadan have also been celebrated at the centre.

Further to this, the nearby Cushla Park Sports Grounds is an exceptional facility for local clubs, schools, social clubs and individuals consisting of football pitches and an astroturf pitch. As a Community Voluntary Group, its members are unique in having maintained independent status while cherishing all the positive contributions which have supported their work over the years.

The sports ground is home to Monksland United and St. Joseph’s with upwards of 5,000 children and adults using their facilities on a regular basis. Plans are already being considered for new playing facilities as well as athletics and tennis facilities.

Annette Curley and Angela Doran made an impassioned and comprehensive presentation to the competition judges Tom Dowling and Terry Ó Niadh. Ms. Curley said the Development Project has been twenty years in existence and was preceded by the Monksland and Districts Residents Association.

The Centre was previously a retail premises and in 2002 was converted to its current use. As a Centre, the facility provides social, educational and recreational interaction, serving a rapidly growing population of 7,000 residents as well as the hinterlands of Ballyforan, Curraghboy, Brideswell and Dysart.

Addressing the judges, Ms. Curley remarked: “Not too long ago, there were few houses in the Monksland area. We have a strong and robust community here. Our premises are available seven days a week and we try to access a range of public funding to help with our work.

Our CE (Community Employment) Scheme is a big support to us. The Sports Partnership do run classes at affordable rates. We’re lucky in that we’ve a highly educated population here. We’ve also been to the fore in supporting businesses and classes who are starting out and who may need initial support.

“Young members of the community, particularly through our Sports Park, are being brought on board, so we are engaging in succession planning. We are always trying to support and engage young people in the community and they in turn, support us”, said Annette, who said her committee were also hopeful of creating extra parking spaces in the embankment area beside the Centre.

Una Ní Chuinn of Roscommon County Council’s Regeneration Unit said the population of Monksland is a stable one with generations growing up in the area: “People who live here have access to jobs, amenities and services that agencies and the community are working to improve all the time.  The strong community spirit demonstrated by Monksland Community Centre is a credit to the volunteers in this area. Ms. Ní Chuinn remarked.