Plebiscite proposed for castle houses

Nenagh Historic & Cultural Quarter will be 'talk of the world'

A plebiscite has been suggested to decide the long-talked-about fate of two houses that could be used as an entranceway to Nenagh Castle.

A special meeting of Nenagh Municipal District was held last week on the multi-faceted plan for the town's ‘Historic & Cultural Quarter’. Several submissions were received as part of the public consultation on the plan.

While there was widespread welcome of the many exciting proposals, several business owners expressed disappointment that Nos 35 and 36 Pearse St are not included in the plan. Nenagh & District Chamber of Commerce and a number of private individuals also called for the OPW-owned buildings to be included in the project. Given that it is not the owner of the houses, the Tipperary Co Council response was for their inclusion in potential future phases of the project to be considered in conjunction with the OPW.

Cllr Hughie McGrath mentioned the long-running debate over whether the houses should be demolished in order to create a new entrance to the castle. Some are in favour of this idea and some are against; his personal view is that the houses should be knocked. He mentioned proposals to use the archway on Pearse St as an entrance but said it might prove too narrow and may not afford the desired view of the castle from the Dublin road.

Cllr McGrath suggested that the council may have to run a plebiscite to allow the people of Nenagh decide what should be done with the houses.

“We need to get a clear view from the people of Nenagh, and people of the district, on what they want to do with those houses,” Cllr McGrath said. “This is what the people of Nenagh want - that has to be given to the OPW.”

LIGHTING UP THE CASTLE

He joined his fellow councillors in welcoming other aspects of the Historic & Cultural Quarter project, particularly with regard to the castle. These include the installation of a new universal-access pedestrian route, comprising an elevated bridge, paved walkway, and ramped footpaths, from the O'Rahilly Street Carpark to the castle forecourt, utilising the thirteenth century castle's original barbican entrance. This and the keep are to be illuminated with subtle façade lighting - something that has also been widely called for over recent years. Elsewhere, the project involves removing “unnecessary street clutter"”to create enlargened pedestrian space in Banba Square. The railings around the monument are to be removed, while the historic access gates to the courthouse are to be reinstated along with the historic lamps.

A series of works are planned for the remnants of Nenagh Gaol and its vicinity beside the courthouse.

GANTRY TO THE GOVERNOR'S HOUSE

These include reinstating the gantry structure at first floor level to connect the gaol block with the Governor's House (Nenagh Heritage Centre). This will involve an elevated footbridge structure to facilitate access for a new visitor experience route.

Other aspects of the project involve upgrading footpaths throughout the quarter and nearby streets.

District Administrator Rosemary Joyce said the council is trying to put in place a masterplan for a phased “transformative regeneration” of an area where some of Nenagh's most notable buildings are located within close proximity of one another. Ms Joyce spoke of the widespread consultation with the likes of Fáilte Ireland, OPW, National Monuments Service, Courts Service, Garda Síochána, Nenagh Parish Council and business community.

The council received eight submissions from the Sisters of Mercy in relation to former gaol site property in their ownership. There had been three consultation meetings with the Sisters and Ms Joyce assured that legal agreements would be put in place in advance of the works, while ongoing consultation would be maintained.

Among other concerns raised in the submissions was loss of car parking spaces, something the council would seek to keep under review.

PROJECT MANAGER

Cllr Séamie Morris sought the appointment of a project manager to co-ordinate all that is planned for the quarter. He expressed surprise that the council is not taking away the courthouse railings, saying their removal would further open up Banba Square to pedestrians. Cllr Morris added that the Republican Monument Committee would like to provide an information point detailing the history of the monument in Banba Square.

Noting that the project would be delivered on a phased basis subject to funding, Cllr Morris asked people to be patient and for local TDs to lobby for what he described as a “very exciting project for the town”.

Cllr Ger Darcy commended the local authority on a “huge undertaking”, saying Nenagh was never before promoted to such an extent from a tourism point of view. He agreed, however, that it is “a pity” that the Pearse St houses are not included in the project.

Cllr Joe Hannigan spoke of the amount of space in the historic buildings that could be used by local community groups. He supported the idea of using the OPW houses as a gallery for artists, at least on an interim basis. “It's a sin to leave them sitting idle,” Cllr Hannigan observed.

Cllr Michael O'Meara said the Historic & Cultural Quarter plan mirrors that of towns on the European continent, where there is a “critical mass” of sites for tourists to visit. He asked the council to try not to lose sight of the military barracks in its future plans for the historic quarter.

Cllr Fiona Bonfield supported the concept of bringing sites together under one plan. Ms Joyce said the council would be engaging a project manager to co-ordinate this and the many projects in train in the Nenagh district.

SEED SOWN DECADES AGO

She said the seed of the Historic & Cultural Quarter idea was sown by Cllr McGrath and his efforts to reopen the castle as a visitor attraction. Cllr McGrath replied that Nenagh shopkeeper Stephen Slattery inspired this idea, and he told of how Mr Slattery brought four shopping bags of files to Leinster House for a meeting on the castle with former Minister Dick Roche.

Among the points raised by the councillors, Ms Joyce said conservation architects engaged by the council favoured keeping the courthouse railings as they were. She said the council would have to see what demand there is for space in the buildings. Ms Joyce agreed that there would be business opportunities for the likes of shops and cafés if the quarter yields the desired footfall.

Cllr John Rocky McGrath said the Nenagh quarter would become “known worldwide - that's my prediction. It will definitely be the talk of the world.”