JUST as there is plenty of character in Clones, the village has its fair share of characters too!

Peace funding has played a huge role in the regeneration of this Border village which, for so long, has suffered from the legacy of the Troubles and a downturn in the economy.

It’s a place however that is proud of its history and the identity that it has established.

The Cassandra Hand Centre is the perfect example of this.

The former school was lovingly restored to become a hub for all manner of community events and endeavours.

Its name honours the wife of the late Thomas Hand, a former director of the Church of Ireland.

“The couple came to live in Clones in the late 1840s, during the time of the famine,” explains Josephine McKenna from the Centre, “Everyone was suffering at that time. But Cassandra had contacts who could make lace.

“Men, women and children were all making lace in Clone thanks to her -- it became an income for the area and soon people started to put their own stamp on it with the ‘Clones knot’.

“They were able to sell it in America and France and they put the profits into this building, a school for infants and young girls, which was built in 1859.” It remained a school until 1911.

Owned by the Clogher Diocesean Board of Education it was then used as a centre for parish meetings until the 1990s until it fell into disrepair.

But in 2004 when peace money came to Clones, negotiations began to turn it into a community centre.

“The community group is a mix of all religions -- it’s a great wee group,” says Josephine.

“They asked me to come on and keep the office in here going. Since then, over the last nine years I have done just about anything except sing to keep it gong -- I cannot sing!” A section of the centre has been transformed into an old school classroom, harking back to the building’s former use.

“We do heritage talks of walks, town tours, the parking at football matches and over the last number of years we have organised our own Cassandra Hand Rose competition,” explains Josephine.

“This centre was set up for the social needs of Clones. Since it opened, so many lovely things have happened. It is open to everyone, it brings people together. Without it, I don’t know what we would do.” Walter Pringle is the current chair of the community forum.

“The role brings with it a certain civic obligation,” he smiles.

“It was my priviledge this year to open the Barry McGuigan Park, dedicated to him after he won the world championship.

“Before that, it was a swamp and a bog!” Explaining that he Barry’s late father well, Walter says the people have a deep sense of pride that McGuigan hails from their neck of the woods.

“Barry had the chance of a lifetime and he took it with both hands. He is a very likeable lad.” A pastoral assistant and lay minister in the Church of Ireland, Walter says cross-community work is alive and well in Clones thanks to peace funds.

“I understand this town harboured a lot of people back in the time of the Troubles,” he says, “When I was first asked to come on this committee I said: ‘I’m only being brought on as a token, to tick a box in the criteria for funding’.

“I said I would go on but leave as quickly as I came.... Well I am still here!

“Roman Catholic people were so supportive of my family in my lifetime. When my father died at an early age, they worked the farm for us.

“My attitude is: life is too short. Had we not received the peace money, we may have been living in peace, but in our own corners in isolation from each other.

“Now people are sitting down and working together for the better.”