Kells printworks project wins Rising Star Enterprise Award
Kells is celebrating after the local Sawmills Printworks project scooped the 'Rising Star' Award at the Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town Awards in Kilkenny last night, while Kells was also runner up in its category.
The new Rising Star award, which comes with a first prize of €20,000, is a special award for projects where derelict or empty building or spaces are being used to create a place for social, artistic, creative, technological or entrepreneurial activity. The restoration of the Kells Printworks was one of five projects around the country shortlisted for the award.
It was a successful night for Kells which was also runner up in the Leinster towns with population of 3,000 to 7,000 category.
The Kells printworks project involves the restoration of the rare and intact 'mothballed' printing works, dating back to the late 19th century, which was rediscovered in Kells in January last year – over 30 years after it was locked up in situ when the owner died.
Now the Kells Type Trail are in the process of having it restored and one of the machines, an Empress Platen printing press has been restored - with the first print run recently taking place.
The pre-Victorian printing presses and old-type fonts, which were at one time used to print 'the Meath Chronicle,' were lost in time in a workshop where a calendar still marked the date of its closure and the death of its owner, Briany Finnegan on 6th May, 1983.
The contents of the complete printing works were discovered nearly two years ago and donated to the people of Kells for an educational project by the last living member of the Finnegan family – Surrey based priest, Fr Sean Finnegan.
Mark Smith and Carol Lee now plan to showcase a history of lettering in the town - from the Book of Kells to the annual Type Trail festival which celebrates type as an art form. The eventual plan is to house the printworks in the old Sawmills, when it is fully developed as an arts centre.
Meath County Council Director of Service Kevin Stewart who was at last night's awards has congratulated all involved. "This has the potential to be a fantastic project. It is a real unique piece of heritage. Congratulations to everyone involved, it is a credit to them and a well deserved reward for all their efforts."
The Bank of Ireland National Enterprise Town Awards recognises and rewards towns and villages where businesses communities come together to showcase the spirit of enterprise in their local area with a total prize fund is €157,000.