New €21.7m PEACE-funded Monaghan Peace Campus hailed as a place ‘where both difference and unity are celebrated’

The €21.7 million project is supported by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), with the remainder of funding provided by Monaghan County Council, the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland, and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.

In addition to the development of much-needed community space in a neutral setting,  the new hub includes a youth facility, a new town library and a cultural heritage area, including space to showcase and promote Ulster Scots culture.  The overall aim of the project is to engage with all communities, especially where there is a legacy of difference and segregation in relation to attitudes and beliefs. 

Special guests at Friday’s event included the Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD; John Smith, Deputy Secretary, Department for Communities; Chief Executive of SEUPB, Gina McIntyre; Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council, Robert Burns; the Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, Councillor David Maxwell; and the Chair of the Peace Campus Steering Committee, Councillor Paudge Connolly. Other guests included Elected Members, TDs, MEPs and representatives from the Department of Rural and Community Development, and the Department for Communities.

Minister Heather Humphreys TD said:

“I’m delighted that my Department of Rural and Community Development has invested €2.8 million in the Monaghan Peace Campus. 

By doing so, we are investing in a landmark project that will proudly represent this region for generations to come.  The Monaghan Peace Campus will serve as a catalyst for communities from all sides, colours and traditions, to come together and further build peace and reconciliation. 

This state-of-the-art facility will be a new home for everyone, regardless of where you come from.  A shared, community space - a flagship example of what we can all achieve when we work together.  As someone from Monaghan, and a Minister who has strongly supported this project over many years, I’m very proud to see this vision finally become a reality.

Speaking at the event, Gina McIntyre said: “I am delighted to be here today to celebrate this official opening. This remarkable building will be an important and lasting asset for the people of Monaghan and the surrounding area.

The Monaghan Peace Campus delivers on the aspirations of the PEACE IV Programme, creating a space which is open and welcoming to all, where both difference and unity are celebrated, where history and learning have a home and where people of all ages and backgrounds have a place to come together to build a shared future.

“I would like to congratulate Monaghan County Council, the Ulster Scots Agency and all those involved in delivering this ambitious project.”

Cathaoirleach Councillor David Maxwell said:

“The Peace Campus project was developed to address the needs that still exist in our communities today such as issues of segregation, fears to engage and an unwillingness to express identity.  This wonderful facility will allow all communities to come together to engage in a safe setting.  To dispel myths and allow relationships to be built which will not only benefit individuals but also the wider community.”

Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council, Robert Burns said:

“The Peace Campus will cater for the needs of our diverse community through its shared civic, cultural and community space.  It signifies that we in Monaghan have an innovative and can-do approach with the ability to successfully complete complex projects of this nature.  We are hopeful that this wonderful new facility will help promote peace, reconciliation, social cohesion, and prosperity both within and outside the county.”

The Monaghan Peace Campus is a tremendous example of the enormous impact which PEACE IV is having, and will continue to have, in promoting and embedding peace and reconciliation across Northern Ireland and the border counties.