About
The Old Church Centre, formerly a Church of Ireland, was built in 1840 by Michael Harrison. Because of a dwindling congregation, it was deconsecrated and in 2006 a group of people concerned about the future of the Old Church formed Cushendun Building Preservation Trust, which has now leased the building from the Church of Ireland. Cushendun Building Preservation Trust was awarded funding through National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funders to restore the building and give it a new lease of life as a heritage, arts and community space. The Old Church Centre opened in 2019 and runs a busy programme of activities. The building is a charming example of simple, rural, ecclesiastical architecture.
The weekend of European Heritage Open Days 2023 is part of Cushendun Old Church Centre's (OCC) annual September Culture Month, scheduled to begin on the evening of September 8 with the launch of artist Raymie Watson's evocative 'Hands of History' exhibition. This exhibition, on display throughout the weekend, showcases a series of bronze sculptures of the hands of the chief negotiators of the historic Good Friday Agreement. The Hands of History +20 and other installations, opened in April, 2018 in Victoria & Albert Museum Gallery, Liverpool, supported by University of Liverpool, Institute of Irish Studies.
Visitors to the Old Church Centre on Saturday morning from 11:00 -13.30 and on Sunday from 11:00 -17:00 will also have the opportunity to talk to staff and volunteers about the history of the Old Church and how the centre was developed, and receive details of current events, exhibitions and future programmes. Visitors will have the use of an interactive iPad which provides information on past and current projects developed by the Old Church Centre and signposts information about links.
The theme of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement continues into the afternoon of Saturday 9th September from 15:00, when which the OCC has convened a stimulating group of panellists uniquely placed to assess the impact of the agreement twenty-five years after its inception: Eamonn Mallie, journalist, author and broadcaster; Anna Mercer, Deputy Director of Political Consultancy Stratagem; and Linda Ervine, Manager of the Turas Irish language project. This ticketed event will be chaired by Claire Mc Keegan, solicitor, founding partner of Phoenix Law, and Old Church committee member.
Participants will hear from each panellist his or her perspective on the Good Friday Agreement and how Northern Ireland has changed in the intervening period. There will be an opportunity for a question and answer session and discussion. This event provides a welcome opportunity to explore ways in which the Good Friday Agreement has impacted on communities from both rural and urban areas and on all age groups. For further information on events and to enrol on our mailing list, please see our website link https://theoldchurchcentre.com/
