Churchtown Village Renewal Trust was set up by a local entrepreneur in 1997.
The Trust had a detailed programme which included: Development of facilities in the Parish Sports Field;
the purchase and restoration of derelict village housing; supporting the restoration of historic church ruins in the village graveyard and the celebration of Churchtown’s long association with the horse through erection of a commissioned equine sculpture in the village square.
 

All of these aims have been achieved and the Trust has evolved into the Churchtown Historical and Heritage Society. Some of the events undertaken by the CHHS (under the generous sponsorship of the aforementioned entrepreneur) include:
 

A re-enactment of a Hedge School on its original site;  
the erection of a Cillín ;
Historical on-site lecture at local quarry – scene of a triple Whiteboy execution;
the restoration of  an 1845 Market House;
On site lecture at the ancient Kilgrogan graveyard; commemoration of locally-born  Jacobite poet, Sean Clárach Mac Dómhnaill;
erection of a Pillar of Honour in Village Square to mark outstanding achievements of  the Churchtown born;
the complete refurbishment of a village house, now used  as a centre for the performing  arts.

Each dedicated year is marked by an event – such as the International Year of the Potato, during which
a Plaque to the Famine Dead was unveiled;
Bio-Diversity Year was marked with an event in the Mona Rua Bog, and a visit and talk at a local Apple Farm was our 2011 Heritage contribution.
Two of our most noteworthy successes have been the 2003 publication of the 166-page The Boss Murphy Musical Legacy; Irish Music from the Churchtown area of North Cork and
the publication in 2005 of  our 767-page parish history,
The Annals of Churchtown.

 Denis Hickeymailto: denisjhickey@eircom.net]
Noel Linehan <noellinehan123@gmail.com>