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Former Midlands Courthouse Getting €200,000 Facelift

Thursday, 4 March 2021 17:42

Photo credit: Rachel McKenna, architect with Offaly County Council

An alternative purpose has been found for the historic building.

A former courthouse in Offaly is undergoing a €200,000 facelift. 

The building in Birr is being converted into a creative hub for artists in the region to live and work. 

It'll also provide an outdoor training space for the local boxing club. 

The funding is being provided as part of the Historic Towns initiative, operated by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The Courthouse closed in 2013 as a court and it was agreed to transfer the ownership  from the OPW to Offaly County Council who are working with Birr 2020 to facilitate the development of an arts hub.  

This funding will go towards securing urgent roof repairs to prevent water ingress and for works to the façade of the building.  

Additional funding will be needed for the next phase to restore and adapt the interior for use as an arts hub.

The application focused on the importance of the building in the streetscape, its reuse, the very strong community engagement  and the existing plans headed by Birr 2020 to use and develop the building for future use as a Creative Hub. 

A Conservation Master Plan has been commissioned by the County Council and conservation architects Howley Hayes are in the process of developing this document which will scope out all the work needed for a viable reuse and this will inform all the works to be done on site. 

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