Outcry over Carlow court railings plan

Imagine what would happen, says Carlow historian Tommy Clarke, "if a crowd of us went to Dublin and started to dismantle the railings around Trinity College".

Unlikely as that scenario sounds, Carlow people fear something similar is about to happen in reverse; namely, a Dublin-imposed alteration of the railings around Carlow courthouse.

To outsiders, the great railings controversy might seem like a petty local row, until Mr Clarke uses the Trinity College analogy to show how important this architectural feature is to the town.

He and others, like Carlow UDC member Michael Abbey, are angry at an Office of Public Works (OPW) proposal to alter the 160-year-old railings to give improved access to the courthouse for a mere 17 vehicles.

The proposal has, however, been put "in abeyance" by the OPW as a result of the concerns raised. In the meantime the Department of Justice and Law Reform is examining alternative access proposals, according to an OPW spokeswoman.

That assurance has not satisfied those objecting to the proposal, who say there has been little consultation from the OPW to date and fear a final decision - which does not require planning permission - could be made over their heads.

The controversial proposal is just one aspect of a £1.5 million overhaul for the courthouse. Locals stress that they welcome the other aspects of the OPW's plans, which include upgrading offices in the building, and cleaning and repairing the stonework.

The proposed alterations to the railings are not extensive, but they do include cutting away part of the structure to create a widened, recessed entrance on the Court Place side of the building. This would materially alter the line of the railings at the point where they look most impressive.

And for what, asks Cllr Abbey. "If it was for a good reason, perhaps there might be a case to be made. But when it's for the sake of creating 17 car-parking spaces it cannot be justified."

Those with long memories will know it's not the first time the railings have been under threat. Proposals to alter them in 1973 were dropped following a similar outcry.

At the time Dr Edward McParland - then, as now, an art historian at Trinity College - explained the architectural importance of the courthouse and railings in a hard-hitting article in Carloviana, the journal of the Old Carlow Society.

Describing the courthouse itself as "one of the finest 19th century buildings in the country", he warned that it "must not be tampered with incautiously".

"And the proposed alteration to the railings around the building is of course more than tampering. They contribute substantially to the architectural impact of the building. An attack on them is an attack on the building itself; such an attack must not be tolerated."

It wasn't tolerated then and Cllr Abbey, who represents Fine Gael, and his fellow campaigners are determined it won't be tolerated now.

Although locals are dissatisfied with the level of consultation to date, it may be that the OPW is paying attention. A spokeswoman said a number of submissions about the proposal had been received and were being "given consideration".

It had now been decided to proceed with part of the next phase of the refurbishment programme, namely the installation of a new window on the north-eastern elevation of the court offices.

However no decision had been taken on the proposed construction of a new car park and the alteration of the railings. In a letter to Cllr Abbey last week, the OPW said this decision has been put "in abeyance".

The spokeswoman said the Department of Justice and Law Reform was examining the possibility of alternative access for cars from the Greenbank Road side of the building - an option favoured by Cllr Abbey.

But he, and others, want stronger assurances that this generation will not be the one to attack an architectural gem which has stood unaltered since the railings were erected in the 1830s.