Heritage centre kept going by the parish

OVER the past 20 years, in conjunction with FÁS, Mallow Heritage Centre has been establishing a database for the family records available in the 46 parishes of the Diocese of Cloyne.

The parish of Mallow has provided the premises and has substantially subsidised the work.

The result has been not only a heritage data base to the best professional standard but the placement of some hundreds of FÁS trainees in permanent employment. The Heritage Centre at Bank Place, Mallow, is not a profitable enterprise. Many similar centres have been forced to close. Were it not for the ongoing financial support of the parish, our centre could not survive. If it were to close a major service to tourism in the Cork area would be lost.

We are happy to co-operate with the National Library of Ireland in facilitating individual enquirers who wish to consult the microfilm records available there.

In this we are no different from other Irish dioceses. The restrictions placed recently on commercial agencies are understandable, given the parlous situation of our heritage centre.

Msgr Denis O’Callaghan

Diocesan Heritage Centre

27/28 Bank Place

Mallow

Co Cork