Tipperary town is to receive €7.98M as part of the national allocation of €164 million towards 30 nationwide projects under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.
Two projects submitted by the Revitalisation Task Force in collaboration with Tipperary County Council involving Dan Breen House on Davis street and the Courthouse and Bridewell complex on St Michael’s street will now be transformed for new purposes.
The projects are estimated to cost €9.97M with the stakeholders involved Tipperary County Council, the HSE, Youth work Ireland and Tipperary ETB all expected to contribute some degree of funding.
The two largest allocations went to Creeslough in County Donegal for a new community hub – allocated €12.17M while Edenderry in county Offaly got the largest allocation at €12.26M for a new Community Library and Arts base with public realm improvements also included.
Michael Begley, the Revitalisation Task Force Manager, is welcoming the news today which was revealed on TMWR by Cllr Mary Hanna. Task Force member Cllr Anne Marie Ryan describes the allocation as a “Good News Day” in Tipperary town.
Dan Breen House will be reimagined as a Youth and Further Education and Training Centre in partnership with Youth Work Ireland and the Tipperary Education and Training Board while the entire former Courthouse complex will be transformed into a day service location for adults with intellectual disabilities in partnership with the Moorehaven Centre which will continue to offer services at it’s O’Brien Street facility.
Such is the pressure for space at present that Moorehaven are using space in the upper floors of the Excel Cultural and Arts Centre.
Both projects have planning permission in place. Funding for consultants to compile the business case for both projects was secured from the Leader Programme.
The application process for the funding is competitive, and applications were subjected to a comprehensive assessment process by the Department with oversight provided by an independent Project Advisory Board.
The Courthouse has not been used for sittings of Tipperary District Court since 2010 due to the poor condition of the building with the sittings being held at the Excel Centre instead until 2020.
Tipperary District Court no longer sits in Tipperary town after being temporarily relocated to Nenagh during the Pandemic.
