It seemed like a simple and noble aspiration; the desire of a small community near Clonakilty in west Cork to acquire the deconsecrated Kilnagross Church, owned by the Church of Ireland, as a community hall.
It seemed particularly straightforward, given that the 19th century building was facing demolition. As the Shannonvale Community Association saw it, a wonderful opportunity had arisen. The small but vibrant association needs a community hall so it submitted a plan to the local church body, which is led by the Rev Ian Jonas. It undertook to restore the church building and offered to maintain the adjoining graveyard, incorporating both into a Tidy Towns project for the village of Shannonvale. The submission pointed out that the association was preparing a five-year plan for the village and immediate area, and that one of its short-term aims was to prepare a comprehensive list of those buried in the Kilnagross graveyard.
It further made the church authorities aware that the Leader Programme had been contacted about assessing the project for possible funding. A Leader official visited Shannonvale and hopes were high that the association would qualify for a grant.
Throughout September, October and November, attempts by the association to initiate dialogue with the church body did not prove successful. The association decided to go public on the issue and contacted The Irish Times. The chairman of the association, Mr Dan O'Mahony, along with Ms Greta Kelly, its public relations officer, were present at a meeting with Mr Jonas last October when, they claim, he voiced the concern of his congregation that if the building was sold to the association, it might be used for drinking parties. At a separate meeting, Ms Kelly maintains, Mr Jonas voiced another concern - that the building would be used for Sinn Fein/republican meetings. The association says it countered these suggestions by pointing out the sobriety of its members and its non-political agenda.
The association says a poll of the 150 villagers in Shannonvale showed 98 per cent support for the plans. So what was said and what was not said during the various meetings? Mr Jonas says his recollection is unclear. He thinks the Sinn Fein/republican reference is putting words in his mouth. "I don't remember what I said - can you remember what you said yesterday?" he asked when we contacted him. What about the drinking party reference? There were some concerns, he replied, but again, it was hard to recall the exact form of words used. "The Select Vestry had very good reasons for making its decision," he said.
"The vestry does not feel inclined to divulge those reasons, and really, I have nothing more to say."
Could the answer lie in the fact that one member of last year's community association committee was Mr Seamus de Burca, who was a Sinn Fein candidate in the last local government elections? No longer on the committee, he is still a member of the association. His politics, he says, has nothing to do with the work of the association, which seeks only to improve village life.
The position now is that the church will not be sold, nor will it be demolished as was originally proposed. "You could safely say we believe an impasse has been reached," said an association member, Mr Shane Minogue.
Over 20 people have contacted this column since last week looking for a telephone number for Dr Ronan Gleeson, the Cork-based herablist doctor who is offering a treatment for women with libido problems. His various numbers are in the Cork phonebook and his mobile number is 088 2533733.